THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 24, 1995 TAG: 9512240049
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Music review
SOURCE: BY LEE TEPLY, SPECIAL TO THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
Some may have been disappointed that the Virginia Symphony has been forced out of Chrysler Hall by ``Phantom of the Opera.'' But the change of venue to the Harrison Opera House was the best thing that could have happened to the symphony's annual performances of Handel's ``Messiah.''
Indeed, the intimacy and superior acoustics of the opera house were largely responsible for the success of Friday's concert.
The orchestra, led by music director JoAnn Falletta, played with the precision of a fine chamber ensemble. Seated on a platform over the orchestra pit, the orchestra had a well-blended tone that carried easily throughout the hall. It did not have to force out the occasionally required loud volume, but instead let the sound grow naturally, becoming richer as it gained strength.
A smaller group of instruments was used to accompany some of the oratorio's solos. This gave a welcome variety to the string sound, and it allowed for interesting embellishment from concertmaster Vahn Armstrong.
Trumpeter Chris Fensom, a new member of the orchestra, played the famous ``trumpet shall sound'' solo with brilliant tone and sparkling ornamentation.
The Virginia Symphony Chorus, prepared by Donald McCullough, also enjoyed the hall's warm acoustics.
Their fine blend was only rarely - at the highest and loudest moments - disturbed by an unfavorable wobble from the sopranos. They were quite well-prepared for the many technical demands of this music, and particularly for the treacherously difficult fast counterpoint.
The chorus expressed the more somber emotions of the oratorio's second part most convincingly. Even their faces showed pain and grief. But they did not often let their faces, and in turn their voices, rise to the heights of joy found in the first and third parts. Nevertheless, they joined the orchestra in providing the solid musical structure to which the solos were added.
Of the four soloists, tenor Jonathan Mack and bass-baritone Max Wittges were best suited to the music.
Their voices possess extraordinary clarity and control in difficult fast passages. And they have wide ranges, with fullness on the low end and brightness on top. Their confident, dramatic performances were nicely crowned with appropriate ornamentation.
The voices of soprano Amy Johnson and mezzo-soprano Diane Willis-Stahl did not serve the music as well. Fast passages presented problems, either of keeping up the pace or of getting all the notes in cleanly. They both did better in slower arias - Willis-Stahl's ``He was despised'' was particularly moving - but here their excessive vibratos took the music out of Handel's world, perhaps into the more highly stressed realm of modern opera.
Despite these few weaknesses, Falletta united all participants in a well-paced, dramatically convincing performance of the oratorio. This was particularly true of the Christmas portion, which was presented in its entirety. The other two parts suffered a bit from their own structural flaws and from the substantial cuts that Falletta took.
Still, the music was well served and enthusiastically received by the large audience. The concert was, thanks in large part to the favorable location, a highlight in what has been a strong season for the symphony. by CNB