This is a BQOD I just found:
I wrote an identical message last October; this makes year #4 of consecutive decisions by our symphony leadership to omit from their holiday program the performance of Handel’s masterpiece The Messiah. For the fourth consecutive year, people, the SLSO apparently still isn’t up to performing it for a scant weekend during the Christmas season. We in StL–and the symphony–better start worring now that our patrons will entirely forget who Handel is, let alone remember the sounds of one of the best classical (or any) musical work of all time.
The blogger who wrote this clearly believes Messiah (no “The” in the title) to be a Christmas work, and one that should be performed annually.
I do enjoy playing Messiah, but to do it every year would, I fear, grow mighty tiring. In addition, I see it more as and Easter work than a Christmas work. I do frequently play the sing-along event at the California Theatre, and yes, they do it in December, but I’ve rarely done it otherwise. I think San Jose Symphony (RIP) did it for a few years in a row, but it was finally nixed. I doubt anyone who knew it will “entirely forget who Handel is”, but of course I’ve been wrong before ….
In Other News
I’ve been doing EH work this morning. Reeds are always so cooperative in my little house! We’ll see what they think of a stage, though. There’s really not a lot on this first program that is soloistic, but there is one solo in the Ellington where I am all alone for the start of the solo. Next set is when I have a lot of notes: we are doing La Mer. So I pulled that out as well, and it’s interesting to see how the fast licks are still in these old fingers, having not played it for so long. I’m not a huge Debussy fan. There’s just something about him I don’t connect with; I’m not sure what that’s about but there you go. Still, I do as I’m told, so Debussy it will be.
