Handel Messiah - too long for comfort?
Posted: 07 Dec 2011 06:05
Hi folks,
I'd like to get your general thoughts and best brainstorm ideas on how to present Handel's Messiah.
We're currently in the middle of a year-long run at this work. A community chorus and orchestra (amateur), and two high school choirs, and a youth choir, are working on it.
Those of you who know, and love, this work, are aware of the main problem. Performed uncut, it runs over 2 1/2 hours. Hard on audiences, hard on performers.
I've set this up so we will learn all of the music, including all choruses (yay!), but the issue will be its performance.
Soon, in a couple of weeks, we're going to do "that American thing", and just do Part 1, with (my choice) adding #52 (If God be for us), and ending with the Hallelujah Chorus. A punt, I know, but acceptable, I think, at Christmas.
Next April, however, it's the whole thing. And here's where I'd like to hear your ideas:
I'd like to perform it twice (given all the work involved). Some options, in no particular order:
a) cover to cover, intermission after part 1 (just do it all!)
b) cover to cover, intermissions after part 1 and part 2 (might lose part of the audience after the Hallelujah Chorus)
c) here's a concept: part 1 on Friday, parts 2 and 3 on Saturday, "best of" (abridged, with sing-along) on Sunday afternoon (amounts to a "very long" intermission between parts 1 and 2).
d) cut stuff... hmm, to quote Peter Schaeffer's line from the play (and movie) Amadeus ... "which notes would you like me to remove?"
This is starting to weigh me down. I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on how to successfully do the whole thing, or at least enough of the whole thing, to do the entire work justice.
War stories, anyone? Experienced any miracles? General advice?
Cheers,
-Bruce
I'd like to get your general thoughts and best brainstorm ideas on how to present Handel's Messiah.
We're currently in the middle of a year-long run at this work. A community chorus and orchestra (amateur), and two high school choirs, and a youth choir, are working on it.
Those of you who know, and love, this work, are aware of the main problem. Performed uncut, it runs over 2 1/2 hours. Hard on audiences, hard on performers.
I've set this up so we will learn all of the music, including all choruses (yay!), but the issue will be its performance.
Soon, in a couple of weeks, we're going to do "that American thing", and just do Part 1, with (my choice) adding #52 (If God be for us), and ending with the Hallelujah Chorus. A punt, I know, but acceptable, I think, at Christmas.
Next April, however, it's the whole thing. And here's where I'd like to hear your ideas:
I'd like to perform it twice (given all the work involved). Some options, in no particular order:
a) cover to cover, intermission after part 1 (just do it all!)
b) cover to cover, intermissions after part 1 and part 2 (might lose part of the audience after the Hallelujah Chorus)
c) here's a concept: part 1 on Friday, parts 2 and 3 on Saturday, "best of" (abridged, with sing-along) on Sunday afternoon (amounts to a "very long" intermission between parts 1 and 2).
d) cut stuff... hmm, to quote Peter Schaeffer's line from the play (and movie) Amadeus ... "which notes would you like me to remove?"
This is starting to weigh me down. I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on how to successfully do the whole thing, or at least enough of the whole thing, to do the entire work justice.
War stories, anyone? Experienced any miracles? General advice?
Cheers,
-Bruce