Une tradition bien sympathique : l’œuf de Pâques ! Merci, Véro !
“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be chang’d in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.”
With these words, especially appropriate to the theme of the Resurrection, a series of the most amazing recollections comes to mind, cherished personal memories of countless concerts of ‘Messiah,’ and of course especially moving for me, the famous Trumpet aria.
The first time must have been in Boston, while still a terrified student (I’m thinking of the treacherous triplets in ‘Why Do the Nations so Furiously Rage Together?’), and later this musical masterpiece took me everywhere from Amsterdam to Utrecht, Paris and all the regions of France; from Oxford and then to London; also Rimini, in Italy. I even sang ‘Messiah’ in Singapore …
The Oxford ‘Messiah’ was my very first time to sing in England, but it almost didn’t happen. The conductor called me in Paris to arrange “the cuts,” and proposed matter-of-factly that we not do the repeats in the famous bass aria ‘The Trumpet Shall Sound.’ This was to be my debut in that country, and especially in the music of Handel, with whom I have always been so closely attached. I made it clear that I always perform the aria in its entirety. His argument was that he was “only thinking of the boys” (the boys in the Choir) who needed to get home early, and this is always the way they do it in England. Well, with my finest art of diplomacy the conductor was clearly informed that Mr. Reinhart only performs the aria with the da capo repeats, therefore no cuts. There could be no exception. He finally caved, and when the concert took place in the wonderful Sheldonian Theater (1664-1669), certainly one of the most beautiful of historic concert venues I’ve ever seen, I’m proud to say that the aria was triumphantly applauded by the audience – to my complete surprise and to everyone else’s – and that moment is how I fondly recall my first of many concerts in England.
One time we performed a concert of ‘Messiah’ in the Champs-Elysées Theater in Paris. One French reviewer managed to get in the nudge that my English accent was not perfect. It’s nice to be taken for a German, or French, it’s happened before, but I still have to smile at that one.
In Rimini, the ‘Messiah’ was given in that most stupendous cathedral, the Malatesta Temple. We were all – choir, baroque orchestra and harpsichord – crowded in front of the altar, forcing the four soloists to be placed out in front, hovering over the first row of the audience. So, who did I spot seated only a few feet from me but Renata Tebaldi, who lived in that city. Her amazing red coiffure was unmistakable, as was her bearing. What a glorious honor for me. At the end of my aria ‘The Trumpet Shall Sound,’ everyone in the cathedral could hear distinctly resonating across the vast spaces: “Braaaaaavo, Greeeeegory! Braaaaavo!” with the diva’s legendary projection and perfectly clear Italian diction!
“The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised, incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
Best wishes to all for a happy and blessed Easter, and enjoy the chocolate!