≈ 2 hours and 45 minutes · With intermission
Last updated: December 14, 2021
Handel's Messiah
PART ONE
Sinfony: Grave – Allegro moderato
Accompagnato (Tenor): Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
Air (Tenor): Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, ev’ry mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight, and the rough places plain.
Chorus: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Accompagnato (Bass): Thus saith the Lord, the Lord of Hosts: yet once, a little while, and I will shake the heav’ns, and the earth, the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: the Lord whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, ev’n the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold He shall come, the Lord of hosts.
Air (Alto): But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire.
Chorus: And He shall purify the sons of Levi that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
Recitative (Alto): Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Emmanuel: “God with us.”
Air (Alto) and Chorus: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, “Behold your God: Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”
Accompagnato (Bass): For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and the kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Air (Bass): The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Chorus: For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Pifa: Pastoral Symphony
Recitative (Soprano): There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.
Accompagnato (Soprano): And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.
Recitative (Soprano): And the angel said unto them: Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Accompagnato (Soprano): And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying,
Chorus: Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth, good will toward men.
Air (Soprano): Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen.
Recitative (Alto): Then shall the eyes of the blind be open’d, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.
Air (Alto and Soprano): He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, and He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Come unto Him, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Chorus: His yoke is easy, and His burthen is light.
PART TWO
Chorus: Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.
Air (Alto): He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: He hid not His face from shame and spitting.
Chorus: Surely, He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.
Chorus: And with His stripes we are healed.
Chorus: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Accompagnato (Tenor): All they that see Him, laugh Him to scorn; they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying:
Chorus: He trusted in God that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, if He delight in Him.
Accompagnato (Tenor): Thy rebuke hath broken His heart; He is full of heaviness; He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man, neither found He any to comfort Him.
Arioso (Tenor): Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.
Accompagnato (Tenor): He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of Thy people was He stricken.
Air (Tenor): But Thou didst not leave His soul in Hell, nor didst Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.
Chorus: Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory
Air (Soprano): How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things.
Air (Bass): Why do the nations so furiously rage together, and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His anointed, saying:
Chorus: Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their yokes from us.
Recitative (Tenor): He that dwelleth in Heaven shall laugh them to scorn: The Lord shall have them in derision.
Air (Tenor): Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Chorus: Hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Hallelujah!
PART THREE
Air (Soprano): I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first-fruits of them that sleep.
Chorus: Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Accompagnato (Bass): Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
Air (Bass): The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Recitative (Alto): Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
Duet (Alto and Tenor): O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
Chorus: But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Chorus: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing and honour, glory and pow’r, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever
Chorus: Amen.
— Text from the King James version of the Bible, selected and arranged by Charles Jennens. Carus Edition, Ton Koopman & Jan H. Siemons, editors.
Repertoire
Messiah, HWV 56
Probably Handel’s most famous work, Messiah (1741) is the only composition of its time to be performed continuously since its premiere in Dublin on April 12, 1742. The remarkable frequency of its performance was due in part to the accessibility of the score (which was published in 1767), and its enduring popularity owes much to the unique qualities of its text and the ways Handel set it to music.
Messiah is an oratorio—a semi-dramatic genre akin to opera but on a religious topic. Like an opera, an oratorio may have a narrative plot with characters, and unfold with operatic elements such as recitatives, arias, and choruses. However, unlike an opera, it’s performed in concert form—that is, without scenery, costumes, and acting (though action would be implied). In Italy during the first half of the 18th century, oratorios were substitutes for opera during Lent, a solemn season during the Christian liturgical calendar when one had to abstain from opera among other worldly activities. Messiah is, notably, a certain kind of concert oratorio that Handel had developed in England, as an alternative to Italian opera, which, by mid-century, was falling out of favour and fashion with audiences there. After its premiere, he introduced Messiah to London theatres beginning in 1743. Initially, the oratorio’s sacred subject appearing in a secular context provoked controversy but later, shifts in circumstance and audience tastes eventually made this a non-issue. In subsequent revivals, Handel always scheduled performances of it at the end of the theatre season, within a couple of weeks before Easter. Today, Messiah is usually performed around Christmas.
Messiah tells the story of God’s redemption of mankind through Christ the Saviour. Charles Jennens, a friend of the composer’s, created the libretto by selecting and adapting verses from the Old and New Testaments in the Authorized Version of the Bible. The verses are grouped so the drama unfolds in three main parts: Part One presents the prophecies about the Messiah’s coming, and their fulfillment in his birth; Part Two follows the passion story of Christ, his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, the rejection of Christ, and God’s ultimate victory; Part Three is a meditation on what is accomplished through Christ’s victory—the promise of eternal life and triumph over death. While the story has clear religious significance, Jennens avoids a dogmatic interpretation. As a result, Messiah’s narrative, rich in complex human themes and emotions, can be appreciated by anyone, regardless of belief or creed.
Handel’s Messiah is unique to the oratorio genre because its story is presented, not through the personification of characters, but rather, in a descriptive format by the voices of the four soloists and chorus. The text thus becomes something to be contemplated, enhanced by the composer’s deft use of recitative, aria, and chorus, to infuse variety and drama. In the recitatives, there’s a notable distinction between those accompanied by continuo (i.e. keyboard and cello) versus those accompanied by orchestra (“accompagnato”). While the former serve to introduce new topics, the latter drive the narrative forward in key moments, for example, “And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them” (Part One), “Thy rebuke hath broken His heart” (Part Two), and “Behold, I tell you a mystery” (Part Three). For the ensuing airs (or arias) during which matters are more deeply reflected upon, Handel uses a mixture of forms. He had originally planned four arias to be set in the elaborate Baroque da capo (ABA) form but only the one for alto, “He was despised”, was not shortened before the first performance. This aria carries deep emotional weight, setting the stage for the dramatic arc of Part Two that ultimately culminates in the glorious “Hallelujah” chorus.
Regarding the choruses, shifting musical textures—from unison declarations to layered counterpoint to majestic chordal statements—enliven these commentaries to powerful effect. The aforementioned “Hallelujah” chorus is a particularly brilliant example, incorporating monophonic (“King of Kings”), homophonic (the opening “Hallelujah”), and polyphonic (“And he shall reign for ever and ever”) textures. Listen also to how it goes from low and quiet on “The kingdom of this world is become” to suddenly loud on “the Kingdom of the Lord, and of his Christ”, on a similar motif but in a higher register, as if radiant—a musical representation of the transformation described in the text. In the final “Amen” chorus, Handel inventively contrasts homophonic and polyphonic textures as well as vocal and orchestral timbres to bring the oratorio to a magnificent close.
Program note by Hannah Chan-Hartley, PhD
Artists
Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra is praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary learning and engagement programs, and its unwavering support of Canadian creativity. The NAC Orchestra is based in Ottawa, Canada’s national capital, and has grown into one of the country’s most acclaimed and dynamic ensembles since its founding in 1969. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, engaging communities from coast to coast to coast through inclusive programming, compelling storytelling, and innovative partnerships.
Since taking the helm in 2015, Shelley has shaped the Orchestra’s artistic vision, building on the legacy of his predecessor, Pinchas Zukerman, who led the ensemble for 16 seasons. Shelley’s influence extends beyond the NAC. He serves as Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the UK and Artistic and Music Director of Artis—Naples and the Naples Philharmonic in the United States. In addition to his other conducting roles, the Pacific Symphony in Los Angeles’s Orange County announced Shelley’s appointment as its next Artistic and Music Director. The initial five-year term begins in the 2026-2027 season, with Shelley serving as Music Director-Designate from September 2025. Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds and Principal Youth Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser complement Shelley’s leadership. In 2024, the Orchestra marked a new chapter with the appointment of Henry Kennedy as its first-ever Resident Conductor.
The Orchestra has a rich history of partnerships with renowned artists such as James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Renée Fleming, Hilary Hahn, Jeremy Dutcher, Jan Lisiecki, Ray Chen, and Yeol Eum Son, underscoring its reputation as a destination for world-class talent. As one of the most accessible, inclusive and collaborative orchestras in the world, the NAC Orchestra uses music as a universal language to communicate the deepest of human emotions and connect people through shared experiences.
A hallmark of the NAC Orchestra is its national and international tours. The Orchestra has performed concerts in every Canadian province and territory and earned frequent invitations to perform abroad. These tours spotlight Canadian composers and artists, bringing their voices to stages across North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia.
Bernard Labadie has established himself worldwide as one of the preeminent conductors of the Baroque and Classical repertoire, a reputation closely tied to his work with Les Violons du Roy (for which he served as Music Director from its inception until 2014) and La Chapelle de Québec. With these two ensembles, he has regularly toured Canada, the U.S., and Europe in major venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Kennedy Center, the Barbican, the Concertgebouw, and the Salzburg Festival, among others. He began a four-year term as Principal Conductor of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in the 2018–19 season.
Labadie has become a regular presence on the podiums of the major North American orchestras, including the Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Boston, Colorado, Houston, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco symphony orchestras, the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, the Los Angeles and New York philharmonics, the Handel & Haydn Society, and Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. International audiences in past seasons have seen and heard him conduct the Bayerischen Rundfunks Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of Ancient Music, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the BBC Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Collegium Vocale Ghent, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, WDR Sinfonieorchester (Cologne), and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra.
His extensive discography includes many critically acclaimed recordings on the Dorian, ATMA, and Virgin Classics labels, including Handel’s Apollo e Dafne and a collaborative recording of Mozart’s Requiem with Les Violons du Roy and La Chapelle de Québec, both of which received a Canadian Juno Award. Other recordings include C.P.E. Bach’s complete cello concertos with Truls Mørk and Les Violons du Roy, and J.S. Bach’s complete piano concertos with Alexandre Tharaud, both on Virgin Classics, and Haydn’s piano concertos with Marc-Andre Hamelin as soloist, released by Hyperion. Bernard Labadie has received Paris’s Samuel de Champlain award, the Canadian government’s Officer of the Order of Canada, and his home province has named him Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Québec.
La Chapelle de Québec, founded by Bernard Labadie in 1985, is a nationally based chamber choir of professional singers recruited mainly in Québec City, but also throughout Québec and Canada. It assembles for two or three concerts each season to join Les Violons du Roy in major works from the repertory for choir and orchestra, especially from the 18th century. Its performances of cantatas, oratorios, and masses by J.S. Bach, Handel, Mozart, and Haydn have been acclaimed throughout Canada and the United States, thanks to many broadcasts by Radio-Canada, the CBC, and NPR in the United States.
La Chapelle de Québec has performed regularly on tour with Les Violons du Roy, notably in Handel’s Messiah and J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in Toronto, in an all-Vivaldi program in France, and in Mozart’s Requiem in Toronto and the United States. The choir is often asked to appear with Bernard Labadie in the concerts he conducts with U.S. orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, with which it performed Handel’s Messiah in 2004 and J.S. Bach’s Magnificat in 2006.
La Chapelle de Québec won a Juno Award for its recording of Mozart’s Requiem, released by Dorian in 2002.
Magali Simard-Galdès is a Canadian soprano renowned for her shimmering tone, her refined musicality and her magnetic stage presence.
Her operatic repertoire includes the roles of Agnes (Written on Skin – Benjamin), Roxane (Cyrano – DiChiera), Gilda (Rigoletto – Verdi), Sophie (Werther – Massenet), Constance (Dialogue des carmélites – Poulenc), Mad Chorus (The Overcoat – Rolfe) and Nicette (Le pré aux clercs).
In recital, Magali has appeared at the Société d’art vocal de Montréal, the Festival d’Opéra de Québec, Mexico LiederFest, Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Wexford Festival Opera and Jeunesses Musicales Canada.
On the orchestral stage, Magali Simard-Galdès has performed with l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Arion Orchestre Baroque, L’Harmonie des saisons, I Musici de Montréal, Atelier lyrique de Tourcoing, Opéra Grand Avignon, at the Festival Classica, and at the Festival de Lanaudière.
Under the ATMA Classique label, Magali has recorded Berlioz’s 25 romances pour voix et guitare and Ana Sokolovic’s Sirens. Also with ATMA, she is part of the ongoing project of Massenet’s complete songs. In December 2020, Magali sang the lead role in the first studio recording of George Benjamin’s Written on Skin with the Gürzenich Orchester and François-Xavier Roth conducting (to be released in 2022).
She has received First-prize at the Festival Classica Récital-concours de mélodie française in 2018. She is very thankful to the Canadian Arts Council, Fondation Jeunesses Musicales Canada, Fondation Jacqueline Desmarais and Vancouver Opera Guild for their precious support.
A unique vocal colour and commanding stage presence are the hallmarks of performances by mezzo-soprano Allyson McHardy. Featured at the Paris Opera and Opéra de Toulouse, McHardy debuts at the Drottningholm Opera in July 2024 in the title role of Lully’s Armide. A favourite with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, she comes to Ottawa from her performance at the Artrosphere Festival in Arkansas in Verdi’s Requiem. Her 2023–2024 season has included engagements with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Opera Victoria (Wagner’s Die Walküre), Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and Early Music Vancouver (Handel’s Messiah). Next season includes returns to Vancouver Opera (Minskwoman-Dove's Flight), Music of the Baroque (Handel’s Theodora), and the Victoria Symphony for Lieberson’s Neruda Songs.
In 2022–2023, Allyson McHardy appeared in the world premiere of Le beauté du monde at Opéra de Montréal, Bach Cantatas with Rafael Payare and Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, with the Grand Philharmonic Choir in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Handel’s The Resurrection with Opera Atelier. Other recent credits include Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Orchestre symphonique de Québec and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and Mahler’s Rückert Lieder with the Victoria Symphony. She has appeared with major orchestras across the globe, including the Royal Concertgebouw for Ligeti’s Requiem, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for Handel’s Messiah, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor for Symphony Nova Scotia, and a staged production of Mozart’s Mass in D Minor for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Allyson is a Juno–nominated artist and has won two Prix Opus awards for performances with Opéra de Montréal and Opéra de Québec.
Tenor Andrew Haji is one of the most sought-after voices on operatic and concert stages across North America and Europe. Applauded at his debut for the Edinburgh Festival in Handel’s Saul, Haji’s upcoming season includes debuts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, and NDR Hannover. As well, he will be heard with the Houston Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and at Carnegie Hall with Orchestra of St. Luke’s. During the 2023–2024 season, the Ontarian appears with the Seattle Symphony and Grand Philharmonic Choir (Bach’s Johannes Passion), Victoria Symphony (Messiah), Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (Bruckner’s Te Deum), Carnegie Hall (Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium), and at the National Arts Centre (Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9), where he last appeared as Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
Recent highlights include appearances with Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (Haydn’s Creation), Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society (Bach Cantatas), Chorus Niagara (Beethoven’s Missa solemnis), Orchestre Philharmonique et Cœur des Mélomanes (Rodolfo, La bohème), at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts in Taiwan (Nemorino, L’elisir d’amore), and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony).
On the opera stage, Haji soon debuts the title role in Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito for Pacific Opera Victoria and has been heard with the Canadian Opera Company in La bohème and L’elisir d’amore. Further appearances include Mozart’s Requiem with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Handel’s Messiah with the Houston Symphony and the NAC Orchestra, La bohème with Edmonton Opera and the Canadian Opera Company, La traviata and Macbeth with Calgary Opera, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Victoria Symphony, and Bach’s B Minor Mass with the Elora Festival.
British baritone Dominic Sedgwick was a member of the Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists Programme 2017–2019 where his roles included Kuligin in a new production of Káťa Kabanová, Novice’s Friend in a new production of Billy Budd, Moralès in a new production of Carmen, and Third Ghost Child in the world premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Coraline.
Recent roles include Melot in a new production of Tristan und Isolde for the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and English Clerk in David McVicar’s new production of Death in Venice for the Royal Opera.
His 2021/22 season sees a return to the Royal Opera House as Marullo in a new production of Rigoletto, his debut at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma as Anthony in the world premiere of Giorgio Battistelli's Julius Caesar, and his debut for the Opéra National de Bordeaux as Belcore in L'elisir d'amore.
Dominic’s recent concert engagements include his debut at the BBC Proms as Pilate in J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion with Arcangelo/Jonathan Cophen, Messiah with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE), and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as a number of concerts with the OAE featuring Bach Cantatas as part of their Bach, the Universe and Everything series at Kings Place.
Dominic studied at Clare College, Cambridge and is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama’s Opera School. He was awarded the Audience Prize in the inaugural 2017 Grange Festival International Singing Competition.
George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
George Frideric Handel was a German-born English composer. Active in multiple cities in Europe, he composed in every musical genre of his time, including operas, oratorios, keyboard pieces (such as dance suites), solo and trio sonatas, orchestral music (suites, concertos, and overtures, sinfonias, and dances within his operas and oratorios), and vocal works both sacred and secular. Handel originally established his reputation as a composer of opera, a role that dominated his career for over three decades. He later invented the genre of the English oratorio—large-scale vocal dramas that incorporate the elements of opera, including chorus, but without staging and scenery—of which Messiah remains the most famous and frequently performed. Handel’s musical style is regarded as an eclectic combination of various aspects of European music of his day: beautiful, inventive melodies á là the Italians, the stately qualities of French overtures and dances, and a Germanic foundation in harmony and counterpoint. This cosmopolitan blend, plus his gift for amassing vocal and orchestral forces for dramatic effect are among the reasons why his music continues to appeal to performers and audiences today.
Born in Halle on February 23, 1685, Handel was initially prevented by his father from studying music. Eventually, with the persuasion of the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels, the elder Handel (who was under his employ) allowed his son to study organ, harpsichord, and composition with Friedrich Zachow. In 1703, Handel left Halle to pursue opportunities as an opera composer in key European cities in which the genre was flourishing—first, in Hamburg, then in Rome, where the sensational success of his second all-Italian opera, Agrippina, in 1709, cemented his name across the continent. Two years later, he completed Rinaldo, the first all-Italian opera written for London audiences (who had a taste for the art form) and another huge success. Over the next two decades, Handel gradually settled in London, continuing to compose Italian operas while also taking on the duties of an impresario (notably, for London’s Royal Academy of Music, 1719–1728), as well as writing choral music (in 1723, he was made honorary composer of music for His Majesty’s Chapel Royal). He became a naturalized British subject in 1727.
The 1730s saw the peak of Handel’s career as an opera composer in London, with the premieres of Ariodante and Alcina in 1735 at a new theatre in Covent Garden. However, after years of dealing with the politics and the volatile nature of the business plus the fickle tastes of the public, he decided to turn his attention to creating oratorios as well as organ concertos, another genre of his own invention. (He included these concertos in oratorio concerts, performing the solo part himself.) Taking the successful premiere of Messiah in Dublin in April 1742 as a sign to move forward, he eventually established regular seasons in London for the performance of his oratorios, during Lent when opera was not presented. In the 1750s, his declining eyesight considerably slowed down his ability to compose, revise, and read scores, but he continued to play organ concertos by improvising the solo part, and, with aid, supervise the oratorio seasons until March 1759. On April 14, 1759, Handel died in London, and was buried at Westminster Abbey.
By Dr. Hannah Chan-Hartley
NAC Orchestra
FIRST VIOLINS
Yosuke Kawasaki (concertmaster)
Jessica Linnebach (associate concertmaster)
Noémi Racine Gaudreault (assistant concertmaster)
Elaine Klimasko**
Marjolaine Lambert**
Jeremy Mastrangelo
Manuela Milani
Leah Roseman
Erica Miller*
Renee London*
Marc Djokic*
SECOND VIOLINS
Mintje van Lier (principal)
Winston Webber (assistant principal)
Mark Friedman
Carissa Klopoushak
Frédéric Moisan
Edvard Skerjanc**
Karoly Sziladi**
Emily Westell**
Andréa Armijo-Fortin*
Martine Dubé*
Sara Mastrangelo*
Heather Schnarr*
VIOLAS
Jethro Marks (principal)
David Marks (associate principal)
David Goldblatt (assistant principal)**
Paul Casey
Ren Martin-Doike**
David Thies-Thompson
Sonya Probst*
CELLOS
Rachel Mercer (principal)
Julia MacLaine (assistant principal)
Timothy McCoy**
Marc-André Riberdy
Leah Wyber
Karen Kang*
DOUBLE BASSES
Hilda Cowie (acting assistant principal)
Marjolaine Fournier
Vincent Gendron
FLUTES
Joanna G'froerer (principal)
Stephanie Morin
OBOES
Charles Hamann (principal)
Anna Petersen
ENGLISH HORN
Anna Petersen
CLARINETS
Kimball Sykes (principal)
Sean Rice
BASSOONS
Christopher Millard (principal)
Vincent Parizeau
HORNS
Lawrence Vine (principal)
Julie Fauteux (associate principal)
Elizabeth Simpson
Louis-Pierre Bergeron
TRUMPETS
Karen Donnelly (principal)
Steven van Gulik
TROMBONES
Donald Renshaw (principal)
Colin Traquair
BASS TROMBONE
Douglas Burden
TUBA
Chris Lee (principal)
TIMPANI
Feza Zweifel (principal)**
Nicholas Stoup*
PERCUSSION
Jonathan Wade
HARPSICHORD
Mélisande McNabney*
ORGAN
Thomas Annand*
PRINCIPAL LIBRARIAN
Nancy Elbeck
ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN
Corey Rempel
PERSONNEL MANAGER
Meiko Lydall
*Additional musicians
**On leave
Non-titled members of the Orchestra are listed alphabetically
La Chapelle de Québec
SOPRANOS
Anne-Marie Beaudette
Odéi Bergeron
Lesley Bouza
Megan Chartrand
Sheila Dietrich
Rosalie Lane-Lépine
Marie Magistry
Stephanie Manias
Emily Wall
ALTOS
Charlotte Cumberbirch
Kristen de Marchi
Jean-François Gagné
Marie-Josée Goyette
Josée Lalonde
Claudia Lemcke
Heather Lynn Smith
Rachèle Pelletier-Tremblay
Meagan Zantingh
TENORS
Bernard Cayouette
Marcel de Hêtre
Richard Duguay
Joé Lampron-Dandonneau
Aldéo Jean
David Menzies
Patrick McGill
Arthur Tanguay-Labrosse
BASSES
Martin Auclair
Alasdair Campbell
John Giffen
Devyn Hope
Robert Huard
Emanuel Lebel
Bernard Levasseur
Normand Richar