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Handel & Haydn Society & Artistic Director Harry Christophers Announce 2010-2011 Season

BOSTON, MA: The Handel and Haydn Society and Artistic Director Harry Christophers announce the 2010-2011 Season, featuring a collection of masterworks and rarely heard pieces — some of which have never been performed in the Society’s near-200 year history – others celebrating important repertoire in the organization’s history. The 2010–2011 Season is the first of five seasons leading to the bicentennial celebrations in 2015 that showcases masterworks that were introduced and premiered in this country by the Society. This upcoming season features Handel’s oratorio Israel in Egypt (premiered in the U.S. by the Society on February 13, 1859).

Increasing his presence at the podium, Christophers conducts five programs in his second season as Artistic Director, including the 157th annual performances of Handel’s Messiah. World-renowned conductors Richard Egarr and Bernard Labadie return to lead programs of Beethoven and Haydn. Continuing its tradition of featuring both established and emerging artists, Handel and Haydn welcomes back fortepianist Robert Levin, alto Catherine Wyn-Rogers, soprano Elizabeth Watts, tenor Andrew Kennedy, and bass-baritone Eric Owens; and presents the Society debuts of soprano Sophie Bevan, tenor Allan Clayton, mezzo-soprano Phyllis Pancella, and baritone Sumner Thompson.

The 2010-2011 Season blends well-known Baroque and Classical masterpieces with the less familiar – building Christophers’ vision for Handel and Haydn. Works include Mozart’s Symphony no. 38 in D Major, K.504 (Prague), Requiem K.626, and selections from the opera Mitridate; Haydn’s Symphony no. 83 in G Minor (The Hen), Symphony no. 94 in G Major (Surprise) and Symphony no. 101 in D Major (The Clock); Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 4 in G Major, op. 58 and Symphony no. 5 in C Minor, op. 67; Handel’s Messiah, Israel in Egypt, and Dixit Dominus; Bach cantatas and Brandenburg Concertos nos. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048 and 4 in G Major BWV 1049; and Telemann’s Viola Concerto in G Major. Harry Christophers’ desire to increase performance opportunities for the chorus is realized with an all-choral program featuring the works of Victoria and Poulenc, whose sacred music, although separated by some three hundred years, possesses similar traits.

“I aim to entertain audiences with programs that elicit all emotions,” said Christophers. “From the angst-to-deliverance of Israel in Egypt to the tender fervency of Victoria and Poulenc’s work, to the vivid power of Beethoven’s fifth, this season represents the plentiful ways that music enriches our lives.”

Under Christophers’ leadership, the Society continues to expand its musical and education efforts, grow its Boston-community partnerships, and develop plans for its bicentennial in 2015:

Recording and Touring: In September, Handel and Haydn releases a CD featuring the 2010 performance of Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, KV 427 on the CORO label, the first in a series of new recordings. The second recording scheduled is the 2011 performance of Mozart’s Requiem. With an eye toward the bicentennial, the Society looks to expand national and international touring schedule and explore concert opportunities in underserved markets throughout New England.

Educational Outreach 25th Anniversary: During the 2010-2011 Season the Society reaches an important milestone, the 25th anniversary of its educational programs, and plans to increase its efforts to offer hands-on learning and performance opportunities for youth (Grades 3-12) in Greater Boston and beyond through the Karen S. and George D. Levy Educational Outreach Program. New initiatives are planned in conjunction with the performances of Handel’s Israel in Egypt: school visits by the Vocal Quartet—members of the Society’s professional chorus that entertain and educate 7,500 students annually with a 40-minute interactive presentation; appearances and demonstrations at public, private, and Jewish schools; youth concerts; and the integration of this Handel work into school curricula. The Society also continues to strengthen its relationships with educational partners including the New England Conservatory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Tufts University, and Northeastern University, offering concerts, masterclasses, and symposiums for college students.

2010-2011 Season Highlights

The 2010-2011 Season opens in October with Harry Christophers conducting an all-Mozart program that represents a journey from the composer’s early days as the precocious teenager who penned the opera Mitridate to the more seasoned talent who wrote Eine kleine Nachtmusik and Symphony no. 38 (Prague).

In November the Society welcomes back established period specialists conductor Bernard Labadie – whose last visit was more than a decade ago – and fortepianist Robert Levin for a program that features Haydn’s fun and energetic The Hen and Surprise symphonies and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 4, a back-and-forth dialogue between fortepiano and orchestra, where Levin improvises the cadenzas.

“It is with particular joy that I look forward to another collaboration with the Handel and Haydn Society,” said Levin. “This cherished partnership that spans nearly two decades is enriched not only by my work with Handel and Haydn’s vibrant conductors, but also by abiding musical friendships with members of the orchestra.”

December brings the 157th annual performance of Handel’s Messiah, conducted by Harry Christophers, and featuring the anticipated return of seasoned Handelian alto Catherine Wyn-Rogers. Young stars soprano Sophie Bevan, tenor Allan Clayton, and baritone Sumner Thompson make their Society debuts.

A second holiday concert in mid-December features joyous cantatas by Bach and Christmas music by his predecessors like Buxtehude, Schein, and Schütz, led by Handel and Haydn Society Associate Conductor John Finney. Bach’s Cantata no. 140 (Sleepers Awake!) with its famous chorale, and Cantata no. 122, (Das Neugebor'ne Kindelein), originally written for the Sunday after Christmas, are both Society subscription premieres. The program includes Schein’s Ehr sei Gott in der Höh' allein in which the higher voices of the chorus represent angels and the lower voices shepherds, and Buxtehude’s Das Neugebor’ne Kindelein which shares its text with Bach’s cantata.

January begins the New Year with contemporaries Bach and Telemann: Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos nos. 3 and 4, alongside Telemann’s Viola Concerto in G Major featuring the Society’s principal violist David Miller, member of the Period Instrument Orchestra since the mid-1980s. Bach’s six Brandenburg Concertos are regarded by many as the finest musical compositions of the Baroque era. Concerto no. 3 in G Major, with its rhythmic energy, is thought to be one of the earliest of the set and is scored entirely for strings and continuo. Concerto no. 4 in G Major is scored for a Concertino of violin and two recorders and ripieno of violin, viola, cello, bass and continuo, creating sounds of sheer elegance.

For the first time since 1974, the Society performs Handel’s Israel in Egypt in February, a work premiered in the U.S. by the Society on February 13, 1859. Harry Christophers conducts this incredible drama and choral spectacular. The Society’s rendition is the two-part version: the first is a setting of “Exodus,” narrating in graphic detail the story of the 10 plagues that fall on Egypt. “Handel absolutely relishes the opportunity for word painting,” explained Christophers, “frogs, flies, lice, locusts, hailstones and the most imaginative chorus of all (‘He sent a thick darkness over all the land’), with its strange tonality is baffling to the ears even today.” Sounds of celebration, deliverance and freedom follow in the second part, “Moses’ Song.” Choruses overflowing with more extensive word painting, culminate in the superb “The Lord shall reign for ever and ever,” in Handel’s magnificent tour de force.

Acclaimed conductor, soloist, and audience favorite Richard Egarr returns in March for an original historic interpretation of Classical music’s most famous symphony – the emotionally-charged Beethoven’s fifth. “For me, playing Beethoven on period instruments brings two huge gains,” said Egarr. “Firstly, it’s the thrill of the challenge his music makes on the performers with these instruments, and second, the huge increase in native color from the instruments themselves. They are simply the right tools for the job.” Egarr also conducts Haydn’s Symphony no. 101 in D Major, The Clock – a Society premiere – and takes a turn on the fortepiano as soloist for Haydn’s Keyboard Concerto no. 11.

April starts with a unique program that recalls Handel and Haydn’s beginnings as a choral society, direct from the artistic vision of Harry Christophers. This all-vocal performance features members of the Handel and Haydn Society Chorus in intimate venues in Back Bay and Cambridge: St. Cecilia Church and the Memorial Church at Harvard University. Reaching outside of the Baroque and Classical, this program explores the works of Victoria and Poulenc. “Victoria, the most outstanding composer of the Renaissance, devoted his life to the church,” said Christophers, “and his works reveal such breathtaking passion that there are times in performance when we are almost overwhelmed by their intensity. Four centuries later, Francis Poulenc composed some of the most powerfully committed music ever written for the church.” Both composers’ sacred music, although separated by some three hundred years, possess similar traits creating a program filled with exquisite tenderness and moments of explosive sentiment.

The season closes with Harry Christophers conducting Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Dixit Dominus. Returning to perform are soprano Elizabeth Watts, tenor Andrew Kennedy, and bass-baritone Eric Owens. Mezzo-soprano Phyllis Pancella debuts with the Society. “Mozart’s Requiem is his most immortal legacy, a work of profound drama, intensity and depth,” said Christophers. “The almost crazy effervescence of Handel’s Dixit Dominus could not be more different; this unique musical pairing creates a season finale that is sure to touch all emotions.”

2010–2011 Season Subscription Information

Subscriptions to the 2010-2011 Season are now available. New packages include options with three and four concerts, as well as the traditional six and nine concert packages. Prices range from $54 to $567. Subscriptions may be purchased through the Handel and Haydn Box Office by phone at 617 266 3605, online at www.handelandhaydn.org, or in person at Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston (M-F 10:00am – 6:00pm). Single tickets go on sale in September 2010.

2010–2011 Season Calendar

Mozart: A Musical Journey
Oct. 1, 2010 at 8pm
Oct. 3, 2010 at 3pm
Symphony Hall

Harry Christophers, conductor
Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik
Mozart: Violin Concerto in A Major, K.219, Turkish
Mozart: Overture and March from Mitridate (Society debut performance)
Mozart: Symphony no. 38 in D Major, K.504, Prague

Beethoven by Levin, Haydn by Labadie
Oct. 29, 2010 at 8pm
Oct. 31, 2010 at 3pm
Symphony Hall

Bernard Labadie, conductor (Lord Nelson Mass, 1999)
Robert Levin, fortepiano (Mozart: Piano Concerto no. 21 in C Major, K. 467, 2009)
Haydn: Symphony no. 83 in G Minor, The Hen
Beethoven: Piano Concerto no. 4 in G Major, op. 58
Haydn: Symphony no. 94 in G Major, Surprise

Handel’s Messiah
Dec. 3, 2010 at 7:30pm
Dec. 4, 2010 at 3pm
Dec. 5, 2010 at 3pm
Symphony Hall

Harry Christophers, conductor
Sophie Bevan, soprano (Society debut)
Catherine Wyn-Rogers, alto (Messiah, 2007)
Allan Clayton, tenor (Society debut)
Sumner Thompson, bass (Society debut)
Handel and Haydn Society Chorus
Handel: Messiah

A Bach Christmas
Dec. 16, 2010 at 8pm
Dec. 19, 2010 at 3pm
Jordan Hall

John Finney, conductor
Handel and Haydn Society Chorus
J.S. Bach: Cantata no. 140, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Society debut performance)
J.S. Bach: Cantata no. 122, Das neugebor'ne Kindelein (Society debut performance)
Buxtehude: Das neugebor’ne Kindelein
Buxtehude: In Dulci Jubilo
Lübeck: Willkommen, süßer Bräutigam
Schein: Her sei Gott in der Höh’ allein (Society debut performance)
Praetorius: Psallite unigenito
En natus est Immanuel
In Natali Domino
Schütz: Christmas motets

Bach’s Brandenburgs 3 & 4
Jan. 21, 2011 at 8pm at Jordan Hall
Jan. 23, 2011 at 3pm at Sanders Theater

David Miller, viola
J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concert no. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048
Telemann: Viola Concerto in G Major (Society debut performance)
J.S. Bach: Suite (Overture) no. 1 in C Major, BWV 1066
J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto no. 4 in G Major, BWV 1049

Handel’s Israel in Egypt
Feb. 18, 2011 at 8pm
Feb. 20, 2011 at 3pm
Symphony Hall

Harry Christophers, conductor
Handel and Haydn Society Chorus
Handel: Overture to Saul (Society debut performance)
Handel: Sinfonia from Act II of Saul (Society debut performance)
Handel: Israel in Egypt

Beethoven’s Fifth
Mar. 18, 2011 at 8pm
Mar. 20, 2011 at 3pm
Symphony Hall

Richard Egarr, conductor and fortepiano (Mozart & Beethoven, 2008)
Mozart: Overture to Don Giovanni (Society debut performance)
Haydn: Symphony no. 101 in D Major, The Clock (Society debut performance)
Haydn: Keyboard Concerto no. 11 in D Major
Beethoven: Symphony no. 5 in C Minor, op. 67

Harry’s Vocal Voyage
April 1, 2011 at 8pm at St. Cecilia Church
April 2, 2011 at 8pm at the Memorial Church Harvard University
April 3, 2011 at 3pm at the Memorial Church Harvard University

Harry Christophers, conductor
Members of the Handel and Haydn Society Chorus
Plainsong: Salve Regina (Society debut performance)
Victoria: Magnificat Primi toni à 8 (Society debut performance)
Poulenc: Quatre motets pour un temps de penitence
1. Timor et tremor
2. Vinea mea electa
Victoria: O vos omnes
Poulenc: Quatre motets pour un temps de penitence
3. Tenebrae factae sunt
4. Tristis est anima mea
Poulenc: Salve Regina (Society debut performance)
Victoria: Nigra sum (Society debut performance)
Victoria: Quam pulchri sunt (Society debut performance)
Victoria: Vidi speciosam (Society debut performance)
Poulenc: Petites Prieres de Saint Francois d’Assise (Society debut performance)
Victoria: Salve Regina à 8 (Society debut performance)

Mozart’s Requiem
April 29, 2011 at 8pm
May 1, 2011 at 3pm
Symphony Hall

Harry Christophers, conductor
Elizabeth Watts, soprano (Monteverdi Orfeo, 2006)
Phyllis Pancella, mezzo soprano (Society debut)
Andrew Kennedy, tenor (Haydn Orfeo, 2009)
Eric Owens, bass-baritone (Messiah, 1997)
Handel and Haydn Society Chorus
Handel: Dixit Dominus
Mozart: Requiem, K.626 (Süssmayr)

The Handel and Haydn Society is a professional chorus and period instrument orchestra internationally recognized as a leader in the field of Historically Informed Performance, a revelatory style that uses the instruments and techniques of the time in which the music was composed. Founded in Boston in 1815, the Society is the oldest continuously performing arts organization in the United States and has a longstanding commitment to excellence and innovation: it gave the American premieres of Handel’s Messiah (1818), Haydn’s The Creation (1819), Verdi’s Requiem (1878) and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (1889). Under the leadership of Artistic Director Harry Christophers, is committed to its mission “to perform Baroque and Classical music at the highest levels of artistic excellence and to share that music with as large and diverse an audience as possible.” The Society is widely known through its local subscription concerts, tours, concert broadcasts, and recordings. The Society’s Lamentations and Praises won a 2002 Grammy Award, and its two most recent CDs, All is Bright and Peace, appeared simultaneously in the top ten on Billboard Magazine’s classical music chart. Since 1985, the Society’s award-winning Karen S. and George D. Levy Educational Outreach Program has fostered the knowledge and performance of classical music among young people including in underserved schools and communities. This school year alone, the program will bring music education and vocal training to more than 10,000 students in the Greater Boston area.