This is an oratorio to celebrate Christmas, which has no relationship to either Handel’s Messiah or the Christmas Oratorio by Bach. The original El Niño, is an opera-oratorio composed by John Adams with a libretto by Peter Sellars which premiered in Paris in 2000. It was over two hours and needed more solo singers than this arrangement by Christian Reif (conductor) with musical selections by Julia Bullock which was performed in the Adelaide Town Hall last night.
There was no sense of it being a lesser work because of the adaption. This was a thrilling performance with texts from Latin American poets along with those based on scripture. Within these texts is woven the spiritual, the essence of motherhood and an awareness of a suffering world.
The music, energetic, at times tender, is not reminiscent of the style of Bach or Handel. John Adam’s music is alive with colours that match the texts: immediate, exciting, at times provocative, always alive. For example, the music describing the slaughter of the young boys at Herod’s command was violent, frightening music, with sounds like the thrust of the swords, and the weeping of the mothers.
The first lines of The Annunciation, spoken and sung by Julie Bullock immediately brought the mother Mary into focus.
Because since the beginning you were destined to be mine./Before the ages of wheat and of the lark/and even before the fishes.
Talk of Gabriel
Like all my guests my son impeded me/occupying a place that was my place.
And shortly after, the Magnificat which brings Mary and her place in the Christmas story strongly into focus.
El Niño; Nativity Reconsidered does trace the story of the birth of Jesus, the coming of the Magi, Herod and the slaughter of the Innocents. At this point the text makes reference to the Tlatelolco massacre in Mexico when students were slaughtered by the Mexican Armed Forces, linking the two events, separated by thousands of years.
The Flight into Egypt is brought to life through a version of the Cherry Tree Carol. In this case it was a palm tree which provided fruit and water for the travellers.
Soprano Julia Bullock, impressed with some very difficult music sung with total ease.and powerful emotion.
Mezzo soprano Margaret Plummer sang beautifully, with warmth and sensitivity.
Baritone Simon Meadows was impressive in the quality of his voice, his strength and authoritative singing
Counter Tenor,Austin Haynes represented the Three Magi, with his clear voice, strong and compelling.
These four singers also combined as well as being soloists.
Members of the Adelaide Chamber Singers, set behind the orchestra provided support. While not always prominent, they impressed when brought out of the shadows.
The musicians of Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Christian Reif, showed once again how accomplished and versatile they are.
This was a performance where the sum of the parts resulted in a superb and exciting evening of music. As such, the audience seemed reluctant to leave the Hall but sat or stood around as though still caught up in the atmosphere after it was all over.
(All quotations here are in English for ease of comprehension but in the performance there was a combination of English and Spanish.)
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