By Nancy Plum
New Jersey Symphony returned to a holiday favorite this past weekend with back-to-back performances of George Frideric Handel’s immortal oratorio Messiah. To many, the holiday season is not complete without a Messiah concert, and led by guest conductor Anthony Parnther, New Jersey Symphony presented a concise and flexible version of Handel’s work. Joining the Symphony for Friday night’s performance (which was repeated Saturday night) were four operatic vocal soloists and the Montclair State University Singers.
Currently music director of California’s San Bernadino Symphony Orchestra, Parnther had the score well in hand, conducting without a baton and asking for some imaginative musical effects from both chorus and instrumentalists. With more than fifty arias, duets and choruses, Messiah can make for a long evening, and conductors often create an individual version with their own choices of musical numbers. Parnther and New Jersey Symphony chose to not include a large portion of the Part II, which depicts the Passion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. New Jersey Symphony’s performance focused instead on music recognizable to the audience while giving each of the vocal soloists a chance to shine. Parnther led the opening “Sinfonia” overture in a stately tempo, with elements of courtly grace and especially clean violins. He particularly brought out the lower string sound, as oboists Robert Ingliss and Andrew Adelson added an elegant color to the orchestral palette.
Soprano Caitlin Gotimer has a strong operatic background with roles worldwide, including at the Metropolitan Opera. Her technical expertise came through in the oratorio’s two show-stopping arias for the soprano voice. Gotimer spun off the vocal runs of “Rejoice greatly” with ease, at one point almost outpacing the orchestra’s tempo. One could hear her Tosca experience in the more serene middle section, and she exhibited no trouble with the obligatory races to multiple high Bbs in the aria’s return to the opening material. Her lyrical Puccini voice effortlessly conveyed the intended profession of faith in the Part III “I know that my Redeemer liveth,” and her voice was well matched in a pastoral duet with mezzo-soprano Maria Dominique Lopez. Lopez comfortably handled the quick tempo and runs of “For he is like a refiner’s fire,” and sang the opening recitative of “O Thou, that tellest good tidings to Zion” in a gentle declamatory style, as if an angel were speaking.
Tenor Orson Van Gay II was the first soloist heard in the evening, singing the familiar “Comfort ye” recitative and “Ev’ry valley” aria. In the opening recitative, conductor Parnther used the double-dotted rhythms to create suspense and direction leading from phrase to phrase while Van Gay communicated effectively with the audience and executed the vocal runs successfully. Van Gay showed more vocal edge in the recitative and aria leading up to the “Hallelujah” chorus. In an unusual twist, Parnther invited the audience to join in on the “Hallelujah” texts, which for many listeners was no doubt a high point of the evening.
Bass-baritone Shyheim Selvan Hinnant brought a unique background crossing a number of musical genres to his appearance with New Jersey Symphony. A singer, songwriter, actor, and electric bass player, Hinnant proved himself to be a real storyteller from his opening recitative, making it clear that the Lord will “shake the heavens and the earth.” Hinnant’s showcase aria, and what audiences often look forward to, was “The trumpet shall sound,” which Hinnant sang with conviction, expertly accompanied by trumpeter Garth Greenup.
The Montclair State University Singers, prepared by Heather J. Buchanan, had been solidly drilled in Handel’s crisp rhythms and the lightness required for the choral melismatic passages. The chorus was able to achieve particular bite on the scornful “He trusted in God” and the rageful “Let us break their bonds asunder.” The chorus “For unto us a child is born” was a test of ensemble clarity and transparency, which the Montclair Singers successfully achieved.
The 30 or so musicians of New Jersey Symphony consistently found crisp articulation with supple strings and an overall well-balanced sound. Oboists Ingliss and Adelson, along with bassoonist Robert Wagner, provided refined shadings to match the agile strings, and trumpeters Greenup and Anderson Romero were precise on Baroque instruments. Robert Wolinsky provided expert keyboard accompaniment, easily switching from harpsichord to portatif organ. Parnther maintained a smooth flow among the varied arias, instrumental numbers and choruses, leading to a dramatic and enthusiastically-received close to a glorious work.