Ivars Taurins and Tafelmusik warm up the holidays with Handel’s Messiah

Toronto-based Tafelmusik is a Canadian Baroque orchestra specializing in early music. They often perform with a choir. They play period instruments. The performances are exquisite – since its inception in 1979, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir has received 42 Juno awards and nominations. 

And the holidays are the time when Tafelmusik shines brightest. 

This is especially true with the return of Ivars Taurins, founder and director of Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, for the company’s 45th anniversary season. This December, the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir will hold regular performances of Handel’s Messiah, plus a sing-along performance where audiences can join in during choruses. And in addition to the holiday calendar, the 2023/24 season of Tafelmusik features ten live concerts, including Bach, Beethoven Symphonies 4 and 5, and Staircases, a new multimedia program by Alison Mackay. 

Taurins’ longstanding association with Tafelmusik is no accident. His childhood was rich with music and artistic collaborations. In addition to piano studies and violin lessons, he would gather classmates to form groups that would sing during open houses – hinting at his gift for fostering community and encouraging artistic ventures. His passion for classical music developed over the years and refined into a specialization in Baroque music. This deep connection propelled him forward in his journey with the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, which he co-founded with David Fallis in 1981. In addition to conducting guest appearances and teaching vocal ensembles at the University of Toronto, Taurins played in the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra as a violist for 23 years. When his plate became full, he retired from playing in the orchestra. But he kept the choir, which was his true passion. 

In Tafelmusik’s Sing-Along Messiah, Taurins adopts the alter ego of German-British composer George Frideric Handel, leading the audience through the music and inviting them to bring their artistry to the performance, as well. Handel’s Messiah was originally intended for Easter, but over time the oratorio has become more closely associated with Christmas. While the story explores the entire life of Christ, it encompasses human experience as a whole, and shares its message of charity and peace on earth; prophecy and revelation; goodwill, light and darkness; despair and hope; grief and joy; ignorance and understanding; and cruelty and compassion. 

The extensive research Taurins conducts to curate and perform is what distinguishes Tafelmusik’s Messiah. Their rendition is based on “Historically Informed Performance,” whose focus is staying true to the composer’s original intentions for a piece of music. The stylistic aspect of crafting these performances is, therefore, like learning another language. “Aside from the vocabulary,” smiles Taurins, “it is good to have a good accent”. So instead of using a composition as a springboard for his own artistry, Taurins invests copious energy and minute attention to ensure that performances are at once historically accurate and adapted for the present day. Each presentation thus becomes a unique performance that will never be replicated in the future – because “every time you look at it, you see something new. You’re creating it fresh. Back to square one, you lift the notes off the page”. 

The Handel character that Taurins presents on stage has been meticulously crafted and informed by research and readings. It encompasses his known temperament and draws on reported performances where he would holler out and scold the orchestra for failing to keep tempo. “It’s the Rocky Horror Picture Show of Baroque music!” says Taurins. 

While his career focus has been art and music, Taurins is also well-versed in historical costume and tailoring – talents that he has put to use by creating a handmade vest, intricately woven with crimson silk moire and metallic silver braid, which he wears as Handel. Taurins has presented Handel’s Messiah more than 200 times now, and his dedication to polishing and reinvigorating the performance each time earned him a Gemini award nomination in 2011 for Best Performance in a Performing Arts Programme. 

This creative presentation opens up the world of classical music and makes it a welcoming space for all. “The beauty of Handel is that he becomes a sort of icebreaker,” says Taurins. “People can enjoy themselves and not be nervous about whether they’re singing correctly or not.”  So whether you are a seasoned choir singer or a novice to the world of Baroque music, there is a space for you at Tafelmusik’s concerts. And you are guaranteed to feel the electricity between the performers and the audience – which sustains both during the three-hour-long performances. “Nothing compares to it!” enthuses Taurins. “They’re exhausting, but it’s a catharsis to see the joy in the room and the faces all filled with joy and tears of joy”. 

The Sing-Along Messiah offers solace from daily life so we can return to a place of quietude and reflection. This special presentation is a cathartic experience for all who attend, and has evolved from a simple concert to a cherished holiday ritual and community tradition. For this reason, tickets for the Sing-Along Messiah show on December 17 have already sold out. Happily, Taurins is also resting his G.F. Handel alter ego, in order to conduct three regular Messiah performances at Koerner Hall on December 14, 15, and 16. Tickets for these performances can be purchased at rcmusic.com.

And while Tafelmusik’s home is Toronto, the company has international influence, thanks to its tours in Canada, the United States, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. The Baroque Orchestra’s upcoming performance Passions Revealed, which explores works by Fasch, Locatelli, Vivaldi, Marais, Telemann, and Bach, will take place in the United States on March 1-12, 2024. Prior to the US tour, the Passions Revealed program will also be performed in Toronto from February 23-25, 2024.

© Emilia Voudouris, Sesayarts Magazine, 2023