Review of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ (2025, Royal Albert Hall): “Heavenly performance soars almost to celestial heights”

Glyndebourne’s signature holiday concert returned to the venue for another year, in a unique performance celebrating one of the most popular works in sacred music. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if the quality was enough to make him scream “Hallelujah!”.

I’m not a traditional person by any means. Yet in this case, I will stick to what’s usually done — not because I have to but because I want to. And to be fair, who wouldn’t? It’s a work of absolute perfection. You don’t need to be religious to appreciate it. As a matter of fact, you won’t find an ounce of divine faith in my body — that is, if you care to explore. And last Friday’s Glyndebourne rendition was in many ways comparable to the exquisiteness of this Baroque gem, as long as we overlook a few bashes and scratches.

I’m not a traditional person by any means. Yet, in this case, I will stick to what’s usually done — not because I have to but because I want to. And to be fair, who wouldn’t? It’s a work of absolute perfection. You don’t need to be religious to appreciate it. As a matter of fact, you won’t find an ounce of divine faith in my body — that is, if you care to explore. And last Friday’s Glyndebourne rendition was in many ways comparable to the superb exquisiteness of this Baroque gem, as long as we overlook a few bashes and scratches.

Aidan Oliver’s graceful baton initiated a slightly stiff opening, where the piece’s melodic flow was present but not prominent. Like a machine warming up its gears after a period of dormancy, the orchestra performed with flair but not absolute mastery during the first bars, where the phrasing was never clunky, but came off heavy and mechanical nonetheless.

Providence may have provided. Or perhaps that was the result of some tuneful incantation. And as much as some may find my remark blasphemous, I shall say the Gods of Art materialised soon after. From the second half of the inaugural sinfonia, the instrumental execution rose from adequate to purely magnificent.

Audiences were regaled with an inundant stream of bravura and colourfulness. Oliver’s conducting delivers a rich palette of emotiveness, vigour, and finesse, all of which are perfectly blended and balanced  — a glorious achievement that is mirrored by the choir’s impeccable rendition, whose accentuated texture created a constantly rousing dialogue with both the orchestra and its own components.

The soloist segments showcased a satisfying level of deftness for the most part. However, some technical and interpretive flaws compromised the overall feeling.

James Wayne’s contributions are admittedly the weakest. Although his voice exhibits a pleasant timbre, his lack of resonance and arguable breathing pauses (breaking coloratura passages mid-sentence) result in an underwhelming and hardly memorable act.

On the contrary, Soraya Mafi’s exceptional soprano interventions receive the highest praise. Brimming with sentiment and blessed with technical prowess, her angelic singing flaunted robustness and delicacy alike — playing every ornamental sequence with brightness and flair, and on the whole, demonstrating an extraordinary command and internalisation of the piece.

A nearly full house instantly stood up in awe as a fanfarre anounced the arrival of Handel’s most favoured motif. You can’t really blame for the reaction. Despite a few occasional glitches, Glyndebourne’s trademark quality imbued the entire evening, an evening that lifted people’s heads and spirits, as they were brought before the gates of musical paradise.

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Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall runs until 31 December. Further events and tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara