HANDEl’ S Messiah - Academy of Ancient Music€™s MESSIAH AcAdemy of Ancient music, 2013–14 seAso | n 7 Air soprano i know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at

A c A d e m y o f A n c i e n t m u s i c , 2 0 1 3 – 1 4 s e A s o n | 3

A C A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C

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Bernard LaBadie conductorLydia Teuscher sopranoiesTyn davies counter-tenorJeremy Ovenden tenorBrindLey sherraTT basschOir Of The aam

the AAm is particularly indebted to chris Rocker and

Alison Wisbeach for their generous support of tonight’s soloists.

Tonight’s performance will end at approximately 10pm.

Please turn off alarms, phones, pagers etc. during the performance.

Taking photographs, capturing images or using recording devices

during the performance is strictly prohibited.

H A N D E l’ S Mess i ah

17 December 2013 · Barbican Hall, London, uK18 December 2013 · King’s college chapel, cambridge, uK 20 December 2013 · salle Pleyel, Paris, france

A c A d e m y o f A n c i e n t m u s i c , 2 0 1 3 – 1 4 s e A s o n | 5Handel’s Messiah

HANDEl’S Messiah

Symphony Grave — Allegro moderato

Accompagnato tenorcomfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

isAiAH 40.1-3

Air tenorev’ry valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight, and the rough places plain.

isAiAH 40.4

Chorus And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. And all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

isAiAH 40.5

Accompagnato bassthus saith the Lord of Hosts: yet once, a little while, and i will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land, and i will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come.

HAGGAi 2.6-7

the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts.

mALAcHi 3.1

Air counter-tenorBut who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire.

mALAcHi 3.2

Chorus And he shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

mALAcHi 3.3

Recitative counter-tenorBehold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name emmanuel, God with us.

isAiAH 7.14; mAttHeW 1.23

Air counter-tenor and Chorus o thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain, o thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid, say unto the cities of Judah: Behold your God!o thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, arise, shine for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

isAiAH 40.9, 60.1

Accompagnato bassfor behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

isAiAH 60.2-3

Air bassthe people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. And they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

isAiAH 9.2

Chorus for unto us a child is born, unto us, a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called: Wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting father, the Prince of Peace!

isAiAH 9.6

Pifa Larghetto e mezzo piano

Recitative sopranothere were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

Accompagnato sopranoAnd lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid.

Recitative sopranoAnd the angel said unto them: fear not; for behold, i bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. for unto you is born this day in the city of david, a saviour, which is christ the Lord.

Accompagnato sopranoAnd suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying:

LuKe 2.8-13

Chorus Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men!

LuKe 2.14

Air sopranoRejoice greatly, o daughter of Zion, shout, o daughter of Jerusalem, behold, thy King cometh unto thee. He is the righteous saviour, and he shall speak peace unto the heathen.

ZecHARiAH 9.9-10

Recitative counter-tenorthen shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.

isAiAH 35.5-6

Duet counter-tenor and sopranoHe shall feed his flock like a shepherd, and he shall gather the lambs with his arm; and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

isAiAH 40.11

come unto him, all ye that labour, come unto him that are heavy laden, and he will give you rest. take his yoke upon you, and learn of him, for he is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

mAttHeW 11.28-9

Chorus His yoke is easy, his burthen is light.

mAttHeW 11.30

Chorus Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.

JoHn 1.29

Air counter-tenorHe was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.

isAiAH 53.3

He gave his back to the smiters, and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: he hid not his face from shame and spitting.

isAiAH 50.6

Chorus surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him.

isAiAH 53.4-5

PARt tHe second

Interval of 20 minutesBefore the concert’s second half, soloist Iestyn Davies will be presented with the 2013 Critics’ Circle Award for Exceptional Young Talent (voice). The award will be presented by Chairman of the Circle’s Music Section, Guy Dammann.

PART THE FIRST


Air sopranoi know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall i see God.

JoB 19.25-6

for now is christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep.

1 coRintHiAns 15.20

Chorus since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.for as in Adam all die, even so in christ shall all be made alive.

1 coRintHiAns 15.21-2

Accompagnato bassBehold, i tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.


Air bassthe trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.for this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.


Recitative counter-tenorthen shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory.


Duet counter-tenor and tenoro death, where is thy sting? o grave, where is thy victory? the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.


Chorus But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus christ.

1 coRintHiAns 15.57

Air sopranoif God is for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?it is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?it is christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us.

RomAns 8.31, 33-4

Chorus Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by his blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.Blessing and honour, glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.Amen.

ReVeLAtion 5.12-14

PART THE THIRD

ChorusAnd with his stripes we are healed.

isAiAH 53.5

ChorusAll we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

isAiAH 53.6

Accompagnato tenor All they that see him, laugh him to scorn: they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying:

PsALm 22.8

Chorus He trusted in God that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, if he delight in him.

PsALm 22.7

Accompagnato tenorthy rebuke hath broken his heart; he is full of heaviness; he looked for some to have pity on him, but there was no man, neither found he any to comfort him.

PsALm 69.21

Arioso tenorBehold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto his sorrow!

LAmentAtions 1.12

Accompagnato sopranoHe was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of thy people was he stricken.

isAiAH 53.8

Air sopranoBut thou didst not leave his soul in hell; nor didst thou suffer thy Holy one to see corruption.

PsALm 16.10

ChorusLift up your heads, o ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in! Who is this King of Glory? the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.Lift up your heads, o ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in!

Who is this King of Glory? the Lord of Hosts, he is the King of Glory.

PsALm 24.7-10

Recitative tenorunto which of the angels said he at any time: thou art my son, this day have i begotten thee?

HeBReWs 1.5

ChorusLet all the angels of God worship him.

HeBReWs 1.6

Air counter-tenorthou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men, yea, even for thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them.

PsALm 68.18

Chorus the Lord gave the word: Great was the company of the preachers.

PsALm 68.11

Air sopranoHow beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.

RomAns 10.15

Chorus their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words unto the end of the world.

RomAns 10.18

Air bassWhy do the nations so furiously rage together, and why do the people imagine a vain thing; the kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed.

PsALm 2.1-2

Chorus Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us.

PsALm 2.3

Recitative tenorHe that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision.

PsALm 2.4

Air tenorthou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

PsALm 2.9

Chorus Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth,

Hallelujah!the Kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever, Hallelujah!King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and he shall reign for ever and ever, Hallelujah!

ReVeLAtion 19.6, 11.5, 19.6

There will be a short pause between Part the second and Part the third.Please remain seated.


A specialist in baroque and classical repertoire, Bernard Labadie is music director of Les Violons du Roy and La chapelle de Québec, founded by him in 1984 and 1985 respectively, with whom he regularly tours canada, the us and europe. they are frequent guests at the major venues and festivals and recent appearances have included the salzburg festival, new york’s carnegie Hall and Lincoln center, the Walt disney concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Kennedy center in Washington, London’s Barbican centre and the concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

Labadie is a regular guest with all the major north American orchestras. He appears frequently with the new york and Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestras, the Philadelphia and cleveland orchestras, the symphony orchestras of chicago, Boston, san francisco, st Louis, Houston, Atlanta, detroit, montreal, toronto and Vancouver, the new World symphony in miami, the st Paul chamber orchestra and the Los Angeles chamber orchestra.

He is enjoying more and more renown in europe and made excellent debuts with the Bayerischer Rundfunk orchestra in munich, the concertgebouw orchestra in Amsterdam, the orchèstre Philharmonique de Radio france in Paris, and the BBc scottish symphony orchestra. He will soon make his debuts with the swedish Radio orchestra, finnish Radio orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, orchestre Philharmonique de strasbourg, swedish chamber orchestra, and norwegian chamber orchestra, and will return to munich and Paris, the melbourne symphony and malaysian Philharmonic, the ndR orchestra Hannover, the english concert and to the northern sinfonia.

A highly experienced opera conductor, Labadie was Artistic and music director of L’opéra de Québec (1994–2003) and L’opéra de montréal (2002–06).

Guest engagements have included mozart’s Così fan tutte at the mostly mozart festival in new york, Handel’s Orlando for Glimmerglass opera, mozart’s Lucio Silla for the santa fe opera, mozart’s Die Entführung on tour with the oAe and mozart’s Die Zauberflöte for the metropolitan opera, new york and for cincinnati opera. Last season he returned to cincinnati for mozart’s Don Giovanni.

His honours include officer of the order of canada awarded by the canadian Government and chevalier de l’ordre national du Québec.

B E R N A R D l A B A D I Econductor

© Luc Delisle

Lydia teuscher was born in freiburg, Germany and studied at the Welsh college of music and drama and at the Hochschule für musik in mannheim. early appearances include the Göttingen Handel festival, the stadttheater in Heidelberg and the nationaltheater mannheim.

Recent concert engagements include Jc Bach’s Lucio Silla with ivor Bolton for the salzburg mozartwoche; Haydn’s Paukenmesse with the BBc scottish symphony orchestra and Bernard Labadie; Bach’s Mass in B Minor with Arcangelo and Jonathan cohen; and Handel’s Aci, Galatea e Polifemo with Le concert d’Astrée and emmanuelle Haïm. forthcoming engagements include Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with the Kölner Kammerorchester, and a tour with il Giardino Armonico.

lY D I A T E U S C H E Rsoprano

© R&G Photography

After graduating in Archaeology and Anthropology from st John’s college, cambridge, iestyn davies studied at the Royal Academy of music, London. He has sung the roles of creonte in steffani’s Niobe for the Royal opera House, covent Garden; ottone in monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea for Zürich opera and Glyndebourne festival opera; Arsace in Handel’s Partenope for the new york city opera; and Apollo in Britten’s Death in Venice for english national opera. He made his debuts at the metropolitan opera, new york, in Handel’s Rodelinda where he has also appeared as trinculo in Adès’s The Tempest.

He is the recipient of the Royal Philharmonic society’s 2010 young Artist of the year prize, the 2012 Gramophone Recital Award and the 2013 critics’ circle Awards for exceptional young talent (voice).

I E S T Y N D Av I E Scounter-tenor

© M

arco Borggreve


Jeremy ovenden studied with norman Bailey and neil mackie at the Royal college of music, London and privately with nicolai Gedda.

Jeremy recently sang ferrando in mozart’s Così fan tutte for the Royal opera House, covent Garden, and staatsoper, Berlin; tigrane in Handel’s Radamisto at theater an der Wien; Belfiore in mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera and Jupiter in Handel’s Semele at La monnaie, Brussels; don ottavio in mozart’s Don Giovanni in Berlin with daniel Barenboim; the title role in monteverdi’s L’Orfeo; and oronte in Handel’s Alcina and ilio in cavalli’s Ercole Amante for netherlands opera.

His recording of mozart arias with the oAe prompted david cairns (The Sunday Times) to say that the “rhythm, diction and easy flexibility of [his] voice are exemplary”.

J E R E M Y O v E N D E Ntenor

© Pierre-Philippe Hofm

ann

Born in Lancashire, bass Brindley sherratt studied at the Royal Academy of music, of which he is now a fellow and Visiting Professor.

His engagements in the 2013–14 season include sarastro in mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in his debut at the Wiener staatsoper; claggart in Britten’s Billy Budd on tour with the Glyndebourne festival to new york’s Brooklyn Academy of music; and Pimen mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov for his debut at the Bayerische staatsoper, munich.

future seasons see him return to he Royal opera House, covent Garden and to the netherlands opera, and make major debuts with the Lyric opera of chicago, the festival d’Aix-en-Provence and at the metropolitan opera, new york.

B R I N D l E Y S H E R R AT Tbass

© Sussie Ahlburg


vIOlIN 1

Rodolfo Richter* · Sijie Chen · Colin Scobie · Stephen Pedder · Kinga Ujszaszi

vIOlIN 2

Rebecca Livermore · William Thorp · Pierre Joubert · Marianna Szücs

vIOlA

Jane Rogers · Ricardo Cuende Isuskiza*

CEllO

Joseph Crouch* · Imogen Seth-Smith*

DOUBlE BASS

Judith Evans

OBOE

Frank de Bruine · Mark Radcliffe

BASSOON

Ursula Leveaux

TRUMPET

David Blackadder · Phillip Bainbridge

TIMPANI

Benedict Hoffnung

HARPSICHORD

Alastair Ross

ORgAN

Stephen Farr

*SPONSORED CHAIRS

LeAdeRLord and Lady Magan

PRinciPAL ceLLoDr Christopher and Lady Juliet Tadgell

PRinciPAL fLuteChristopher and Phillida Purvis

suB-PRinciPAL VioLASir Nicholas and Lady Goodison

suB-PRinciPAL ceLLoNewby Trust Ltd


C H O I R O F T H E A A M

SOPRANO

Nina Bennet · Elizabeth Drury · Helen Groves · Philippa Hyde · Katie Thomas · Anna Whyte

AlTO

Heather Cairncross · Jacqueline Connell · Lucy Goddard · Kate Mapp · Susanna Spicer

TENOR

Darrell Forkin · Edmund Hastings · Sean Kerr · Paul Tindall · Christopher Tortise

BASS

Charles Pott · Samuel Queen · Edmund Saddington · Michael Wallace · Jon Stainsby

the circumstances of the premiere of Messiah, in dublin in April 1742, are well known. Handel was at a crux in his career. Having spent the previous thirty years mainly dedicated to the composition, promotion and performance of italian-texted operas in London, he was increasingly preoccupied with english-texted oratorios on religious topics. suffering from dwindling audiences for his music in London, he embarked in november 1741 on a nine-month residence in dublin. Here he could present his music to new and enthusiastic audiences, as well as contemplate the future direction of his career in england.

Handel’s concerts in dublin mostly included oratorios such as Esther and Alexander’s Feast, but also a performance of his last italian opera Imeneo, and the premiere of Messiah. in recruiting a choir for these performances, Handel faced considerable opposition from Jonathan swift, dean of st Patrick’s cathedral, who disapproved of the members of his cathedral choir participating in “a club of fiddlers”. in the case of Messiah, however, swift withdrew his opposition because of the charitable aims of the performance, to raise money for a host of worthy causes in dublin. in the end, the first performances received a warm reception. As The Dublin Journal reported: “Words are wanting to express the exquisite delight it afforded to the admiring crouded Audience. the sublime, the Grand, and the tender, adapted to the most elevated, majestic and moving Words, conspired to transport and charm the ravished Heart and ear.”

the enthusiastic reception of Messiah in dublin must have encouraged Handel to change tack in his London career, and thereafter compose and promote oratorios rather than opera. yet the first London performance of Messiah (in march 1743, at covent Garden theatre) was overshadowed by controversy about the performance

of religious works in a theatre. As a writer to the Universal Spectator complained: “An oratorio either is an Act of Religion, or it is not; if it is, i ask if the Playhouse is a fit temple to perform it in, or a company of Players fit ministers of God’s Word...?” slowly, however, the oratorio gained respectability, particularly after it was performed at the foundling Hospital chapel in may 1750. the foundling Hospital was dedicated to the ‘maintenance and education of exposed and deserted young children’, and was acutely short of funds in the mid-eighteenth century. As with the dublin premiere of Messiah, the charitable aims of the foundling Hospital performance dispelled concerns about the work’s combination of a religious text and theatrical arias.

interesting though the series of early performances of Messiah might be, it is also fascinating to ask how the oratorio achieved its fame and ubiquity after Handel’s death. Regular performances at the foundling Hospital continued into the 1760s, directed by Handel’s erstwhile assistant, John christopher smith the younger. in addition, the oratorio soon became a favourite in the repertory of provincial music societies as far afield as derby, Liverpool and newcastle, as well as in east Anglia and the West midlands. Messiah was performed not merely in concerts, but in events that called themselves festivals, and which often had charitable purposes and a strong sense of social ritual. for instance, in 1757 Messiah made its first appearance at the three choirs’ festival, the annual event that rotated between the cathedrals of Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford. the festival was partly intended to raise funds for the families of clergy and cathedral singing-men; but it was also a key date in the social calendar of local gentry, and was attended by councillors, members of parliament and other local worthies. With its religious texts and stirring music, Messiah rapidly became a staple part of these important local events.

S T E P H E N R O S E I N T R O D U C E S H A N D E l’ S M A S T E R P I E C E


Also significant were the two performances of Messiah at the 1784 commemoration of Handel in Westminster Abbey. celebrating what was then thought to be the centenary of Handel’s birth, the commemoration showed how completely Messiah had been accepted by the english political establishment. the concerts were attended by the royal family and were financially underwritten by members of both political parties (the tories and Whigs). using large performing forces — a total of about 500 performers — the 1784 concerts paved the way for the large-scale performances of Messiah staged in Victorian england.

By the middle of the nineteenth century, Messiah retained its popularity with the country’s elite, but was also being sung by the increasing numbers of amateur choirs found in industrial cities. in 1857 an incredible number of performances of the oratorio took place across england, some of which were intended as dry runs for concerts planned for 1859 to celebrate the centenary of the composer’s death. the highlight of the 1857 performances was the Great Handel festival at the crystal Palace, London, on 15 June. it included a choir of about 2,000 voices, drawn from amateur musical societies across england, and an orchestra of 300 strings and 90 wind and brass players. the performance was a celebration not simply of Handel’s oratorio, but also of english industrial ingenuity in bringing together such an immense ensemble. newspaper reviews paid almost as much attention to the special trains organised to bring the performers to London, as to Handel’s music or charles Jennens’s libretto. As The Musical World proudly commented in its review of the concert: “When englishmen once make up their mind to do a thing — whether it be the repeal of the corn Laws, the erection of a menai railway bridge, the laying down of a transatlantic telegraph wire, or any other apparently

impracticable task — the chances are a million to one that the scheme will be triumphantly carried out. Like napoleon, englishmen do not appear to recognize the right of the word ‘impossible’ to appear in the dictionary of their language.”

yet the huge appeal of Messiah cannot be explained purely in terms of the political and social institutions with which it was associated. nor can it be attributed solely to the patriotism seen in the 1857 Great Handel festival. equally important factors in the success of the oratorio are its text and music. charles Jennens’ libretto narrates the birth of christ and his Passion, death and resurrection by quoting and paraphrasing numerous passages scattered throughout the Bible. it is no simple description of christ’s life, but an account rendered in large part through the allusions of old testament prophecies. As such the libretto incorporates such a wide selection of Biblical texts that it resonates with christians from a variety of persuasions and historical periods. moreover, unlike operas and many other oratorios, there is no attempt to represent actual characters. there is little dialogue or reported speech; instead, the texts are sung in the third person, avoiding any crude attempt at literal portrayal of Biblical events, and thereby gaining a sense of universality.

Handel’s music for Messiah offers a synthesis of styles and textures that has appealed greatly to audiences ever since its premiere. there are relatively few recitatives, but instead numerous sharply-characterised choruses and arias. Handel’s experience as an opera composer is evident in the oratorio’s arias, which each evoke an emotional state via carefully-selected instrumental and vocal gestures. some arias draw on the stereotyped forms of italian opera, such as the rage aria (“Why do all the nations so furiously

rage together”) or the bravura display piece (“Rejoice greatly, o daughter of Zion”). As in his operas, Handel sometimes includes pictorial gestures that instantly convey a message to the listeners, such as the angry dotted rhythms on the words “He gave his back to the smiters” in “He was despised”. yet despite this use of operatic elements, the arias also have a tuneful appeal that reflects Handel’s training in both italian melody and German counterpoint. the smooth and melodious lines of ‘He was despised’ and ‘i know that my redeemer liveth’ partly draw on the lyricism of opera around 1700, but are also supported by a firm sense of harmonic structure that Handel gained from his German upbringing.

Messiah is set apart from Handel’s operas by its many choral movements. italianate opera mainly consisted of arias and recitatives, and rarely made use of a chorus. Handel’s oratorios, by contrast, drew on the english tradition of grand choral movements

in church anthems and secular odes. some of the choruses are exercises in homophony, such as “since by man came death” with its contrasts between minor-key Grave sections and major-key Allegro passages. other choruses show Handel’s skill, again gained from his German upbringing, in writing fugues. But most characteristic are those choruses that juxtapose homophonic and fugal sections. thus “for unto us a child is born” starts as a fugue — albeit with a transparent texture rarely heard in the works of German composers — and culminates in the chordal interjections on “Wonderful counsellor”. Another powerful juxtaposition of homophony and fugue is found in the Hallelujah chorus. such choral writing is one of the main reasons why Messiah has appealed to generations of performers and listeners, from the eighteenth century right up to the present day.

Stephen Rose © 2011 Dr Stephen Rose is Senior Lecturer in Music at Royal Holloway, University of London.

H A N D E l’ S M A S T E R P I E C E con td .


A A M N E W S

Work with Guildhall School students

in early december we continued our AAmplify new generation scheme through a side-by-side session at the Guildhall school. Led by Pavlo Beznosiuk, students enrolled in the Historical Performance course played alongside a selection of AAm musicians working on repertoire by Rebel, Handel, Purcell and telemann. We look forward to releasing a film documenting this project later in 2014.

Visit to Handel House

in the build up to our recent concert with Anna Prohaska in milton court, friends of the AAm spent an afternoon at Handel House. An expert from the foundling museum was on hand to discuss a manuscript from their private archive and explained it in the context of the evening concert programme. Ruth smith — the curator of the Jennens exhibition — was also there to answer questions in an informal setting.

Guildhall student Joe Qiu (baroque bassoon) plays alongside AAM cellist Imogen Seth-Smith

The bedroom in Handel House

Our 40th anniversary celebrations continue

2013–14: a season of celebration

during this festive period, we’d like to thank you for joining us for the first half of our celebratory 40th anniversary season. it was great to see so many of you at the national Gallery as part of our summer residency, and we have been overwhelmed by your support for the launch of AAm Records and the Birth of the symphony recording. our seasons in London and cambridge continue to be a highlight of our schedule, and we look forward to seeing you in the new year.

ON SAlE TONIgHT FOR £10the AAm launches its own record label by charting the development of the symphony

in the eighteenth century, including a Handel sinfonia, works by the avant-garde franz Richter and Johann stamitz, mozart’s first symphony and Haydn’s mature “La passione”.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Disc of the weekBBC RADIO 3

“Crisp, spirited, full of imaginative detail” The OBSeRveR

“An enjoyable bird’s-eye view of the symphony’s development” The SUNDAY TIMeS


O U R E T H O S the history of the AAm is the history of a revolution. When christopher Hogwood founded the orchestra almost forty years ago, he rejected the decades-old convention of playing old music in a modern style. Hogwood and the AAm were inspired by original performances and, along with musicians across europe, were beginning to discover the sound worlds which Bach, Handel and Haydn would have known. these bold initial steps would lead to a radical transformation in musical performance, allowing baroque and classical masterworks to be heard anew from that day to this.

so what’s different about the AAm? Partly it’s the instruments, which are originals (or faithful copies of them). the stringed instruments have strings made of animal gut, not steel; the trumpets have no valves; the violins and violas don’t have chin-rests, and the cellists cradle their instruments between their legs rather than resting them on the floor. the result is a sound which is bright, immediate and striking. Additionally, the size of the orchestra is often smaller, meaning that every instrument shines through and the original balance of sound is restored; and where possible we play from first edition scores, stripping away the later additions and annotations of editors and getting back to composers’ initial notes, markings and ideas.

there’s also a difference in the way we approach our music making. composers prized the creativity of musicians, expecting them to make the music come alive and to communicate its thrill to the audience - an ethos we place at the heart of all that we do. Very often we don’t have a conductor, but are directed by one of the musicians, making for spontaneous, sparky and engaged performances. it’s not just about researching the past; it’s about being creative in the present.

in everything we do, we aim to recapture then intimacy, passion and vitality of music when it was first composed. the result? Performances which are full of energy and vibrancy, the superb artistry and musical imagination of our players combined with a deep understanding of the music’s original context.

O U R PA S T , P R E S E N T , F U T U R Ethe Academy of Ancient music was founded in 1973 by christopher Hogwood, under whose leadership the orchestra developed the global reputation for inspirational music making which continues today. the AAm performs baroque and classical music on period instruments, taking inspiration from the unique soundworlds which composers would have originally known. founded on a combination of academic research and superb musicianship, the AAm’s performances have been acclaimed for their vitality and intimacy.

over the past forty years the AAm has performed live to music lovers on every continent except Antarctica, and millions more have heard the orchestra through its catalogue of over 300 cds: Brit- and Grammy-Award-winning recordings of Handel operas; the first-ever recording on period instruments of the complete mozart symphonies; pioneering accounts of the Beethoven piano concertos and Haydn symphonies; and discs which champion neglected composers.

in 2006 Richard egarr succeeded christopher Hogwood as music director. egarr has led the orchestra on tours throughout europe, the usA and the far east, and in 2007 he founded the choir of the AAm. Recent recordings include a complete cycle of Handel’s opp.1-7 instrumental music, released to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the composer’s death, and the


world-premiere recording of music by seventeenth-century english composer christopher Gibbons. in June 2012 the AAm was invited to perform at the thames diamond Jubilee Pageant; and in summer 2013 the AAm was Resident ensemble at London’s national Gallery, accompanying the exhibition “Vermeer and music” with ongoing performances.

the AAm’s artistic excellence has long been fostered by a range of guest artists. Pianist Robert Levin and singers dame emma Kirkby, dame Joan sutherland and cecilia Bartoli were among those performing regularly with the AAm in the early days, and a range of collaborations continue to inspire the group with new ideas and fresh approaches. the current relationship with the choir of King’s college, cambridge recently produced the world’s first live classical cinecast, with Handel’s messiah streamed live into hundreds of cinemas across the globe; and ongoing work with the likes of mezzo-soprano Angelika Kirchschlager, counter-tenor Andreas scholl, tenor James Gilchrist and violinist

Alina ibragimova lies at the heart of the AAm’s present-day artistic success.

the future is just as bright. from september 2013 to August 2014 the AAm marks its 40th anniversary with a season of concerts featuring the full range of the orchestra’s music-making from monteverdi’s L’Orfeo (1607) to Beethoven’s symphony no.9 (1824). international plans include a recent tour of Australia as well as performances at Amsterdam’s concertgebouw, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and the théâtre des champs elysées in Paris. AAm Records, the orchestra’s own record label, launched in october 2013, with forthcoming releases including Js Bach’s St John Passion, St Matthew Passion and Orchestral Suites.

the AAm is Associate ensemble at London’s Barbican centre and orchestra-in-Residence at the university of cambridge.

Visit www.aam.co.uk to find out more.

The Choir of the AAM in rehearsal for our Barbican performance of Messiah in December 2011


A A M S O C I E T Y M E M B E R S H I P F O R M

YOUR DETAIlS:

name

Address

Post code

telephone

email

YOUR gIFT:i would like to join the AAm society at the following level:

* the chairman’s circle £20,000+

* the Hogwood circle £10,000–£19,999

* Principal Patron £5,000–£9,999

* Patron £2,500–£4,999

* Principal Benefactor £1,000–£2,499

* Benefactor £500–£999

* donor £250–£499

* i would like to make a gift of £

in support of the following priority project identified on page 19:

ACkNOWlEDgEMENT

* Please acknowledge my gift using the following wording

* i would prefer to remain anonymous

PAYMENT DETAIlS

* i enclose a cheque, payable to ‘AAm’ for £

* i enclose a cAf cheque, payable to ‘AAm’ for £

* i would like to pay by standing order (please complete the standing order section overleaf)

* i am transferring my gift by bank transfer to Academy of Ancient music, Lloyds Bank Gonville Place Branch.

sort code 30-13-55 Account number 02768172

* i would like to pay by card — please contact me

* i would like to make a gift of shares — please contact me

(Form continued overleaf)

on 17 september 1973, 23 musicians gathered in Richmond to record Arne’s eight overtures under the young director christopher Hogwood. nobody travelling to the church that morning could have begun to imagine that the Academy of Ancient music (as Hogwood had christened the group) would be in flourishing health 40 years later.

funded by decca the AAm began to build a pioneering discography. over the next 25 years it released more recordings than any other period instrument orchestra in the world, and gave thousands of performances at the finest concert halls on every continent.

By the late 1990s, when Hogwood began to plan for the appointment of his successor, the world was changing. the record industry was in decline, and financial pressures facing international concert halls meant that the generous performing fees of old were no longer available. Putting down roots at home in the uK had become a pressing priority.

in 2000, founder-members of the AAm society contributed £10,000 to fund the orchestra’s first London season. it was AAm society members too who financed the establishment of the orchestra’s residency at cambridge, and who provided the support needed to appoint Richard egarr as Hogwood’s successor. over the last decade, the generosity of an ever-expanding group of supporters has transformed the AAm from a private enterprise directed by Hogwood into a major charitable institution which continues his work beyond his active involvement.

the strength of support offered by society members and other funders has enabled the AAm to develop an ambitious vision for the next stage of its development. it recently established the AAmplify new generation programme to nurture the audiences, performers and arts managers of the future; in January 2012

it was appointed as Associate ensemble at the Barbican centre; and in october 2013 established its own record label.

the orchestra’s supporters have risen magnificently to the challenge of funding the initial costs of these developments, and the greatest priority now is to make the step-change permanent. you can help us to do so by joining their number. Because the AAm is a charity it can claim Gift Aid on donations, boosting their value by 25%. even better, the orchestra has received a generous challenge grant which means that every pound donated by a new society member will be matched.

We would be thrilled to welcome you as a member — and your support would enable us to enrich more lives than ever before with our music.

to find out more please contact: Brittany Wellner James, our fundraising manager, on 01223 341099 or [email protected]

T H E A A M S O C I E T Y


Please complete this section only if you would like to make your donation to the AAm by standing order:

name of Bank:

Bank Address:

sort code: – –

Account number:

Please pay:

Academy of Ancient music Lloyds Bank, Gonville Place Branch.sort code: 30-13-55 Account number: 02768172

the sum of £

Per month/quarter/year starting on:

signed:

date:

gIFT AID DEClARATIONPlease treat as Gift Aid donations all qualifying gifts of money made in the past 4 years and in the future. i confirm i have paid or will pay an amount of income tax and/or capital Gains tax for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities or community Amateur sports clubs (cAscs) that i donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. i understand that other taxes such as VAt and council tax do not qualify. i understand the charity will reclaim 28p of tax on every £1 that i gave up to 5 April 2008 and will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that i give on or after 6 April 2008.

signed:

Please notify the charity if you:

• Want to cancel this declaration

• Change your name or home address

• No longer pay sufficient tax on your income

and/or capital gains.

if you pay income tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your self Assessment tax return or ask Hm Revenue and customs to adjust your tax code.

S TA N D I N g O R D E R M A N DAT E


the AAm is indebted to the following trusts, companies, public bodies and individuals for their support of the orchestra’s work:

AAM BUSINESS ClUBcambridge university Press

Kleinwort Benson

Royal Bank of canada

PUBlIC FUNDERSArts council england

orchestras Live

cambridge city council

FRIENDS OF THE AAMfind out more at www.aam.co.uk/support

TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONSthe Backstage trust

cHK charities Ltd

cottisford trust

dunard fund

John ellerman foundation

esmée fairbairn foundation

fidelity uK foundation

Gatsby charitable foundation

the Harold Hyam Wingate foundation

J Paul Getty Jnr charitable trust

newby trust Ltd

sir siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary settlement

constance travis charitable trust

Garfield Weston foundation

and other anonymous trusts and foundations

T H A N k Y O U

SPECIAl gIFTSthe Academy of Ancient music extends its grateful thanks to Richard and elena Bridges, matthew ferrey and Lady sainsbury of turville, who have supported the orchestra’s work at a particularly significant level this year.

THE CHAIRMAN’S CIRClEmatthew ferrey

THE HOgWOOD CIRClELord and Lady magan

christopher and Phillida Purvis *

chris and Ali Rocker

mrs Julia Rosier

dr christopher and Lady Juliet tadgell

Lady Linda Wong davies (Kt Wong foundation)

PRINCIPAl PATRONS

Richard and elena Bridges

the Hon simon eccles

Richard and Jean Gooder

christopher Hogwood cBe *

dr duncan Hunter

Graham and Amanda Hutton

mrs sheila mitchell

newby trust Ltd *

terence and sian sinclair

and other anonymous Principal Patrons

PATRONS Lady Alexander of Weedon

John and Gilly Baker

Adam and sara Broadbent

clive and Helena Butler

Richard and elizabeth de friend

mr and mrs Je everett

mr and mrs James Golob

sir nicholas and Lady Goodison *

John and Ann Grieves

david and Linda Lakhdhir

mark and Liza Loveday

Roger mayhew

nigel and Hilary Pye *

John and Joyce Reeve

mark and elizabeth Ridley

John and madeleine tattersall

mark West

and other anonymous Patrons

PRINCIPAl BENEFACTORS carol Atack and Alex van someren

George and Kay Brock

mrs d Broke

Jo and Keren Butler

sir charles chadwyck- Healey Bt

Kate donaghy

malcolm Gammie cBe Qc

the Hon William Gibson

elma Hawkin and charles Richter

Lord Hindlip

T H E A A M S O C I E T Y

david and Linda Lakhdhir

oscar and margaret Lewisohn

steven Larcombe and sonya Leydecker

John mcfadden and Lisa Kabnick *

mr and mrs c norton

Lionel and Lynn Persey

mr and mrs charles Rawlinson

simon Robey

Robert sansom

sir Konrad and Lady schiemann *

JG stanford

michael stump and oriel Williams

stephen thomas

Anthony travis

Paul and michi Warren

sarah Williams

mrs R Wilson stephens

charles Woodward

and other anonymous Principal Benefactors

BENEFACTORS dr Aileen Adams cBe

elise Badoy dauby

Professor John and Professor Hilary Birks

Bill and sue Blyth

claire Brisby and John Brisby Qc *

Hugh Burkitt

mr and mrs edward davies- Gilbert

charles dumas

mr and mrs Jean- marie eveillard

simon fairclough

marshall field cBe

michael and michele foot cBe

Wendy and Andrew Gairdner mBe

Beatrice and charles Goldie

the Hon mr and mrs Philip Havers

Professor sean Hilton

dr and mrs G and W Hoffman

Heather Jarman *

susan Latham

John missing and milica mitrovic

mr and mrs Hideto nakahara

orpheus and Bacchus festival

nick and margaret Parker

Bruno schroder and family

Victoria sharp

Peter thomson

Janet unwin

Pippa Wicks

Peter and margaret Wynn

Julia yorke

and other anonymous Benefactors

DONORS Angela and Roderick Ashby- Johnson

marianne Aston

dr Julia Bland

elisabeth and Bob Boas *

mrs nicky Brown

Jeremy J Bunting

dr and mrs s challah

david and elizabeth challen

stephen and debbie dance

Peter stormonth darling

derek and mary draper

steven and madelaine Gunders

Gemma and Lewis morris Hall

mrs Helen Higgs

Lord and Lady Jenkin of Roding

Ali Knocker

Richard Lockwood

Annie middlemiss

John missing and milica mitrovich

edward Powell

yvonne de la Praudière

Jane Rabagliati and Raymond cross

Robin and Jane Raw

Annabel and martin Randall

Arthur L Rebell and susan B cohen

chris and Valery Rees

denys Robinson

mr and mrs timothy Robinson

michael and Giustina Ryan

Alison salt and david mackinlay

miss e m schlossmann

michael smith

Rt Hon sir murray stuart- smith *

Lady Vaizey of Greenwich

Robin Vousden

Professor tony Watts oBe

Paul f. Wilkinson and Associates inc.

tony and Jackie yates-Watson

and other anonymous donors

* denotes founder member

Handel’s Messiah

O U R T E A M

Music Director Richard Egarr Emeritus Director Christopher Hogwood CBE Chief Executive Jonathan Manners Head of Concerts & Artistic Planning Andrew Moore Concerts Administrator Ceri Humphries

Head of CommunicationsToby Chadd Communications ManagerTom McNeill

PR ConsultantRebecca Driver Media Relations

Head of Finance Elaine Hendrie

Head of Fundraising Andrew McGowan

Fundraising Manager Brittany Wellner James

Fundraising AssistantBethan Quartermaine

Head of Projects & AdministrationSamantha Martin

Administration AssistantHelena Gavrielides

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Richard Bridges · Hugh Burkitt · John everett · matthew ferrey · James Golob · John Grieves (Vice-chairman) Philip Jones · John Reeve · terence sinclair (chairman) · madeleine tattersall · Janet unwin

Honorary President: christopher Purvis cBe

DEvElOPMENT BOARD

Richard Bridges (chairman)* · delia Broke · Hugh Burkitt · elizabeth de friend · Kate donaghy · John everett* · matthew ferrey* · Andrew Gairdner mBe · James Golob · John Grieves · Philip Jones · Linda Lakhdhir · Annie norton · John Reeve · chris Rocker* · terence sinclair* · madeleine tattersall* · Janet unwin · Alison Wisbeach

* fundraising committee member

COUNCIl

Richard Bridges · Adam Broadbent · Kay Brock LVo dL · delia Broke · Hugh Burkitt · elizabeth de friend Kate donaghy · Jane evans · John everett · matthew ferrey · Andrew Gairdner mBe · James Golob · John Grieves Philip Jones · Linda Lakhdhir · Annie norton · christopher Purvis cBe (chairman) · John Reeve · chris Rocker Will samuel · sir Konrad schiemann · terence sinclair · Rachel stroud · dr christopher tadgell the Lady Juliet tadgell · madeleine tattersall · Janet unwin · Alison Wisbeach

Documents

HANDEl’ S Messiah - Academy of Ancient Music€™s MESSIAH AcAdemy of Ancient music, 2013–14 seAso | n 7 Air soprano i know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at