Handel’s Messiah — Sydney Opera House, 2019

Full live capture of George Frideric Handel’s « Messiah » at the Sydney Opera House on 14 December 2019, performed by the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs — a chorus of more than six hundred voices — and the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra under the direction of Brett Weymark. This 1741 oratorio, a summit of Baroque music, brings together soloists Celeste Lazarenko (soprano), Nicholas Tolputt (countertenor), Andrew Goodwin (tenor) and Christopher Richardson (bass-baritone) for a monumental reading culminating in the famous « Hallelujah ». Broadcast by ABC Classic, this live filmed concert marks a special moment: it is one of the last performances of « Messiah » in the Opera House Concert Hall before its long renovation. The broadcast-quality capture showcases the hall’s acoustics and the fervour of the Australian audience as Christmas approaches. A reference classical document for lovers of choral music, Baroque oratorio and grand symphonic productions, and a moving record of a farewell to the hall before its long closure.