Those for whom the holiday season is not complete without a visit to a concert hall to hear Handel’s Messiah may want to consider mixing things up a bit this year and attend Pasadena Master Chorale’s (PMC) “Baroque Christmas” on Saturday, December 15 at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church in Pasadena.
Not only will PMC present Part I of Handel’s classic oratorio but it will perform a work composed over 100 years before Messiah – Magnificat (from Vespers of 1610) by Claudio Monteverdi.
Joining PMC for this performance are soloists Hayden Eberhart, soprano; Tania Mandzy, mezzo-soprano; Arthur Rishi, tenor; and Scott Graff, baritone. In addition, members of the Camerata Baroque Orchestra will provide accompaniment on period instruments.
“In pairing Magnificat and Messiah, we’re spanning nearly the entire Baroque period, from its powerful and raw beginnings to the height of its refinement,” says PMC’s founder and Artistic Director, Jeffrey Bernstein. “But, at the same time, these pieces share an emotional immediacy and incredible tunefulness.”
PMC is especially pleased to be presenting Magnificat because, for all Bernstein characterizes its music, quite simply, as “sublime,” it is rarely performed. It is also a work Bernstein believes will intrigue today’s audiences.
“Monteverdi’s music is at once perfect and still surprising to our modern ears,” Bernstein explains. “He stood at the crossroads of the Renaissance and the Baroque and invented, nearly single-handedly, the music of the Baroque. The piece is full of astonishing choral textures and accompanied by beautiful, unfamiliar and beguiling instruments of the 16th century played by some of the finest early music players in the West.”
Indeed, when programming the concert, Bernstein made the decision early on to incorporate period instruments…and for more than historical accuracy. “When performed with period instruments, Messiah becomes a much more light and effervescent work than you may expect,” he reveals. “It brims with charm and delight. It is nimble and quick, playful and irresistible. I’m a great believer in the classic masterworks, and Messiah has a permanent place in our hearts for good reason.”
Tickets for “Baroque Christmas” are available for $25 general admission, $20 for seniors, and $15 for students. Additionally, admission is FREE at the door to students at Pasadena Unified School District and their parents. Tickets may be purchased by visiting the Pasadena Master Chorale website, www.pasadenamasterchorale.org, through any Chorale member, or at the door.
First Congregational Church is located at 464 East Walnut Street in Pasadena, 91101.
Complete details on concerts, ticket prices and venue locations can be found on the website as well. Recorded information is available by phone at 626.208.0009.
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