This year’s Messiah at the TSO is a fairly small scale affair by TSO standards. There’s still the 100+ strong Toronto Mendelssohn Choir but the orchestra is quite small; 12 violins, 6 violas, 4 cellos, 2 basses, 2 oboes and bassoon, plus Christopher Bagan on a sort of monster harpsichord/organ combo. There were two trumpets in the gallery for “Glory to God” and they were back (on stage) with timpani for the Hallelujah chorus and part 3. With Jane Glover conducting it felt like it was almost in Tafelmusik territory.
operaramblings 