|
<< -- 5 -- Howard Smith 'MESSIAH' AS NEVER BEFORE
To perform Handel's best-loved work O'Riordan marshalled a truly
international body of musicians underpinned by instrumentalists from her own orchestra --
Ensemble XXI Moscow and the twelve-member male voice ensemble of Cantores
Minores from Helsinki.
Australian tenor Yaewoo Kim - 'Every valley shall be exalted' . © 2003 Howard Smith
|
Notable soloists were flown to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk for this amazing
'première' -- Sydney-based tenor Yaewoo Kim, Yekaterinburg soprano Ludmilla
Shilova and Seoul bass, Heung Yong Choi spearheaded a fine team of
vocalists.
Soprano Ludmila Shilova - 'I know that my redeemer liveth'. © 2003 Howard Smith
|
In addition O'Riordan had brought in a young piano virtuoso -- Dmitri
Grigortsevich -- as continuo player; plus 'piccolo trumpet' exponent,
Mikhail Basov; both flown from Moscow. Indeed the trumpet 'sounded' as
Handel must have prayed.
Piano virtuoso Dmitri Grigortsevich, who played continuo for 'Messiah' and presented an all-Liszt festival recital. © 2003 Howard Smith
|
From the outset local Russian choristers had learned the text phonetically.
Chorus mistress, Valentina Tuturova -- herself a newcomer to Messiah, drilled
them vocally. And repeatedly -- bar by bar, phrase by phrase; O'Riordan
explained the Christian message and its significance.
Continue >>
Copyright © 27 November 2003
Howard Smith, Masterton, New Zealand
| 