EIF: ‘Saul’
Usher Hall - 24/08/22
Hooray for Handel
What a great day! Following this morning’s riveting Richard Eggar concert, tonight at the Usher Hall we were treated to a magnificent performance of Handel’s oratorio, ‘Saul’. It was the success of ‘Saul’ in 1739, with words by Charles Jennens, which led Handel to compose his masterpiece, ‘Messiah’, premiered in Dublin in 1742.
Firstly, I must declare an interest. In the 1990s, I sang many times as soloist with the English Concert, releasing two major CDs, and about 10 years ago I sang the role of Saul with John Butt at Glasgow University. Notwithstanding these links, I can honestly say that this was one of the “Concerts of the Festival”, a marvellous performance of a magnificent work, with hardly a caveat.
‘Saul’ was produced as an opera a few years ago at Glyndebourne, but to my mind it is far better as an oratorio (as it was written), allowing the audience to imagine a scenario, and concentrating exclusively on the words and music. It was excellent to have the words above the performers on a screen, since with the best will in the world Jennens’ libretto is obscure and hard to follow.
The performance was originally intended to be conducted by the Frenchman, Bernard Labadie, but we had the added luxury of our own John Butt as director tonight. He knows the score inside out and controlled this fantastic performance superbly from the start. He was also lucky to have a dream cast at his disposal for a work which is long (3.5 hours), but endlessly fascinating.
The title role was sung by Neal Davies, a baritone where I prefer a bass, but a singer of splendid invention and a wonderful way with words. Saul is a hard role to sing, as he begins largely unhinged in his envy of David and goes downhill into madness quite soon. Even when he appears to relent in his spite, Jennens throws in an aside (“Oh hardness to dissemble!”) showing his unrelenting hatred, and a lying tongue. Mr Davies managed to convey all his shiftiness and enmity, while singing firmly, with clear diction.
He was not the only Davies on stage, as in the role of the hero David (slayer of Goliath) we were lucky enough to hear Iestyn Davies, surely one of the greatest contemporary countertenors. This part suits Mr Davies perfectly, and his beautiful, full voice easily rode the orchestra with stunning coloratura and unforced high notes of true splendour. This was the best countertenor singing I have heard since James Bowman!
The two contrasting female roles, Michal (all sweetness and light) and Merab (full of venom and spite, but reconciled at the end) were sung superbly by the American soprano, Liv Redpath, and Sophie Bevan, scion of that great musical family, and we had the luxury of the veteran James Gilchrist, whom I sang with frequently in the 1990s, as the High Priest and the Witch of Endor. The role of Jonathan was sung sweetly by the Canadian tenor, Andrew Haji, and that of Samuel by the impressive young bass, Will Thomas. I knew it was Will, but the programme failed to inform us, and the announcement at the beginning didn’t tell us either.
The Choir of the English Concert sang robustly, and the orchestra is still as fine as it was in my day. Special shout-outs to Oliver Wass (harp), Silas Wollston (chamber organ), Masumi Yamamoto (carillon), Mark Bennett and Simon Munday (trumpets), and the wildly enthusiastic Pedro Segundo (timpani).
Hero’s laurels go to John Butt for directing the whole show and sending us home sore of bottom but high in spirits!
Cover photo: Andrew Perry
