QUÉBEC–

To commemorate their fortieth anniversary, Les Violons du Roy are offering a series of exceptional concerts, including the following: Handel’s Messiah with Bernard Labadie.

First of all, the visual impact of such an ensemble on the stage of the Palais Montcalm cannot be overstated: a baroque chamber orchestra with an eye-catching theorbo in the center, behind which the soloists perform and wait, all overlooked by the choir of La Chapelle de Québec, thirty singers harmoniously arranged in a semicircle around the stage. The view is grandiose, worthy of the famous oratorio we’re about to hear.

Conductor Bernard Labadie, founder of Les Violons du Roy, returns to take his place for the duration of the concert, a chair he has left since 2014 to Jonathan Cohen. It’s under his guidance that our concert begins, with a perfectly executed instrumental overture. We continue immediately with the first soloist, tenor Andrew Haji, who captivates us from the very first notes of “Comfort Ye”. The singer handles nuances with great virtuosity and never tries to overdo it: his notes held without vibrato are a real treat for our ears, as are his perfectly mastered melismas. The choir then makes its first appearance with “And the glory of the Lord”, and its power is striking: what an impact! The group seems to form a single angelic voice, the purity of the sopranos mingled with the depth of the basses, the blend of timbres total. And already we hear “Thus saith the Lord”, the first solo by bass William Thomas, a young British singer with a great future ahead of him. This is contrasted by countertenor Iestyn Davies’s “But who made abide”, an impressive performance supported by the chamber orchestra, particularly with its velocity and precision of prestissimo. As the oratorio continues, we finally hear Liv Redpath, soprano. Her entrance is perhaps less remarkable at first than that of the other soloists, with a play in nuances that at first seems restricted, despite impressive vocal precision. The first interventions seem to lack a little life.

Messiah unfolds throughout the evening, punctuated by strong moments (how could one not shudder during the “Hallelujah” closing the second part?), but also occasionally by a few long stretches. A case in point is “He was despised”, a long countertenor solo that never ends. Whether Handel’s hand was too heavy, or the interpretation lacked direction, I couldn’t say, but time seemed to run longer during this aria). It ends beautifully with the perfectly executed “Amen”, a profusion of intense joy.

The concert is made brilliant by the instrumental ensemble, which has had the opportunity throughout to demonstrate its great capacity for contrast, always handled with the elegance and purity typical of Baroque music. Not once is a note overemphasized, not once does it fall into the realm of excess. For once, Les Violons du Roy excel in subtlety. The soloists are each outstanding, despite the criticisms set out above, one is aware of hearing a certain elite of lyrical singing. The choir of La Chapelle de Québec is excellent in its role, and doesn’t disappoint us once: its interventions are always a moment of great pleasure. All in all, a successful evening, and a brilliant one at that.

Photo Credit : David Mendoza Hélaine

Handel’s Messiah with Les Violons du Roy and Bernard Labadie will be presented at the Maison symphonique de Montréal on Saturday, December 14 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available here.