Australian Brandenburg Orchestra And Choir: Handel’s Messiah Opens Tonight
The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra will give its premiere performance of Handel’s oratorio Messiah, directed by Brandenburg’s Artistic Director Paul Dyer AO, with a line-up of international soloists and members of the Brandenburg Choir. Messiah, HWV 56,is one of the world’s most performed pieces, yet Dyer promises an entirely fresh reading of the masterpiece.
Joining the five-time ARIA Award winning Australian Brandenburg Orchestra are Spanish soprano Lucía Martín-Cartón, counter-tenor Nicholas Spanos from Greece, American-Australian tenor Kyle Bielfield and Australian bass David Greco.
Messiah has a long and interesting history from the time it premiered in Dublin in 1742. Handel wrote it in just three weeks, between August 22 and September 14, 1741 – and that includes all the choral and instrumental parts! During the 19th century it became common practice to perform Messiah with very large forces. A revival in the historical performance of baroque music in the 20th and 21st centuries has seen a return to performances by smaller forces.
Librettist Charles Jennens took his text for Messiah from the scriptures, telling the tale of Christ from the Nativity to the Passion. Its exuberant choruses, poignant arias, mighty fugues and tranquil instrumental interludes will move and inspire.
Messiah was so eagerly anticipated that at its premiere, women were urged to wear dresses without hoops and men not to carry swords, so they could fit more people into the Musik Hall. Messiah still fills recital halls around the globe and is a Passiontide tradition for concertgoers of all ages.
Lucía Martín-Cartón is one of the early music industry’s brightest young stars. She won the Renata Tebaldi International Voice Competition and toured Australia in 2015 as a guest artist with Les Arts Florissant.
Nicholas Spanos has won Best Young Artist of the Year in Greece. His recording in the title role of Handel’s Tamerlano won the prestigious ECHO Klassik Award.
Kyle Bielfield is a Sydney-based American tenor and a Masters graduate of the Juilliard School. He has performed in opera in the US and Canada, and recorded an album of music by American composers for the Delos label. His career straddles classical and pop/electronic music and he is signed to Sony Music Australia under his pop alter ego and stage name Bielfield.
David Greco is an Australian baritone and graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague in The Netherlands. He has recently returned to Sydney after eight years of study and work in Europe. He recently shone in his role of The Engineer in Opera Australia’s Sydney Opera House – The Opera. David has a long association with the Brandenburg; he returned to Australia to perform as a soloist on numerous occasions and as a young singer, he was a member of the Brandenburg Choir. His brother Matthew Greco is a violinist in Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.
The performers: Paul Dyer AO conductor & artistic director/ Lucía Martín-Cartón (Spain) soprano/ Nicholas Spanos (Greece) alto/ Kyle Bielfield (USA/Australia) tenor/ David Greco (Australia) bass/ Brandenburg Choir/ Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
