At Disney Hall, ‘Messiah’ for a matter-of-fact age

Every performance of Handel’s “Messiah” since the composer’s death in 1759 has been a compromise. Conductors have had to choose among the differing versions the composer led, in which he varied the arias according to the singers he had available.

Among other issues, including the size and makeup of the orchestra and chorus, conductors today also have to decide how much to kneel before the altar of sacred period practice as defined by competing scholars.

Thursday at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Canadian conductor Bernard Labadie took a bit of a middle ground, leading a severely stripped-down, 26-member Los Angeles Philharmonic, the 35 voices of La Chapelle de Quebec and four fine soloists.

Nodding in one direction, Labadie emphasized fast tempos, clipped phrasing and beauty of tone over word painting. Turning to the other, he enforced lyrical, romantic bowing in some arias.

He began with a fleet, transparent, “Messiah lite” approach but revved up the drama and volume in trimmed accounts of Parts 2 and 3, bringing in the performance at 2 1/2 hours including intermission. (In addition to two recitatives, he dropped three choruses and two arias from Part 2 and a duet, aria and chorus from Part 3. He also skipped the repeat in the Pastoral Symphony in Part 1.)

Of fine, impressive singing, there was much; of spiritual transport, little.

Labadie introduced varying dynamics, even within a line or on a word. The short, crisp falling-off grace note he added on “Lamb” in “Behold the Lamb of God” was expressive, but similar sudden pianos in choral fugue passages and at the end of some choruses and arias sounded mannered.

He began the “Hallelujah!” Chorus at surprisingly soft volume, perhaps to forestall the tradition of the audience rising to its feet. If so, the tactic didn’t work, although the standing was not universal.

Soprano Karina Gauvin sang with pearly, dark-toned emotion. Countertenor Andreas Scholl took all the alto arias, singing with involvement and drama, but in a rare lapse of technique suddenly broke into a rich, powerhouse baritone at the end of a downward run in “But Who May Abide?”

Tenor John Tessier sang with lean, bright, focused strength. Bass Nathan Berg introduced a welcome sense of character in the proceedings and, despite putting a lid on his top notes, showed power and discretion throughout.

The chorus rarely sang with full strength or dramatic delivery, but it was always beautifully balanced and clear and executed interpolated trills perfectly.

All in all, this was a secular “Messiah” for a secular time.

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Handel’s ‘Messiah’

Where: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., L.A.

When: 8 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Sunday

Price: $15 to $125

Contact: (323) 850-2000

or www.laphil.com