Keene’s ‘Messiah’ Driven by Music

Guest conductor Dennis Keene led the Los Angeles Master Chorale in a musical--rather than a text-driven--performance of Handel’s “Messiah” on Sunday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. An ideal performance would give equal weight to both.

In a vague nod to period practice concerns, Keene set a chorus of 48 against an orchestra of 30, mostly strings, and incorporated a portable organ as well as a harpsichord. The musicians played modern instruments, however, and did not attempt to eliminate vibrato. The instrumental soloist in “The trumpet shall sound” similarly made no effort to imitate his 18th century counterpart.

Still, the 42-year-old Keene favored the short phrasings and brisk tempos called for in period performance, but he also allowed some drawn-out recitatives to be bathed in halos of string sound. He conducted knowledgeably and affectionately but without illuminating the work. He used a countertenor in place of an alto or a mezzo.

A Los Angeles native now living in New York, Keene made most of the once-traditional cuts (mainly in parts two and three), but also a few others that led to some odd juxtapositions. By dropping the tenor’s intervening “He that dwelleth in heaven” and “Thou shalt break them,” for instance, he put the turbulent “Let us break their bonds asunder” and the triumphant “Hallelujah!” choruses back to back. Handel’s way is better.

Also responding to 18th century performance practices, the four light-voiced soloists--soprano Maria Jette, countertenor Drew Minter, Christopher Cock and baritone Malcolm Mac Kenzie--embellished their vocal lines freely and generally with ease. The embellishments rarely, however, added dramatic weight. Jette was the most conscientious in this regard.

The chorale sang with transparent purity; honed, balanced sound from top to bottom, and clear diction.