Page 349 - FINAL_The Sixteen Coverage Book 40th Anniversary Year

tripartite segmentation - : Exodus and Canticle of Moses. The verses were understood without a continuity
solution thanks to the clarity of the pronunciation, which was not diminished either in the passages with
the highest sound density or in the end of the sentence that obeyed a downward inflection. Certainly
contributed to this by the commitment of Christophers, who could be seen vocalizing the lyrics of
practically all of the paintings with a rigor and expressiveness that were not weighed down by the
simultaneous gestures addressed to the orchestra.

Another of the fundamental elements in the success of the performance of the UK cast was the careful
balance that Christophers and his musicians established from the beginning to the end of the concert. A
commendable example of such equalization is found in the organ and violone dynamics, always audible in
a fair volume and without prejudice to the articulation, which provided both rhythmic firmness and an
adequate harmonic base. But, truly, it is convenient to extend the praise to the rest of the archi , sackboats,
trumpets and timpani, which never incurred in shrillness and, nevertheless, provided the representation
with an elegant musical translation of the multiple modulations and dramatic indications that go through
the respective particelle of Israel in Egypt.

The Sixteen, Harry Christophers and the soloists after the performance of Israel in Egypt

© National Center for Musical Diffusion (CNDM) | Elvira Megías

Of course, the same can be done with most solo performances. In this section, the arias of the two tenors,
Mark Dobell and Tom Robson, who showed great virtuosity, and the arias of the two sopranos, Julie
Cooper and Kate Hill, were splendid in their corresponding solos, but particularly captivating in the
duo The Lord is my strength . The countertenor Daniel Collins cut his score with more sobriety, but in a
progressive rise that ended up providing an exegesis at the height of the remarkable collective result. It is
in this regard that the magnificent choral efforts, permanently complicit with Christophers and the other
members of The Sixteen, are to be applauded, which ultimately glorified the scriptural conquests ofIsrael
in Egypt and, therefore, the figure of its author. Handel's fame, usually linked to the Messiah , his most
outstanding milestone, should not lead to forgetting the rest of the oratories that feed his catalog, in which,
as we were able to testify last night, Israel in Egypt also deserves a privileged place.

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