There was great and unanimous acclaim last week when the Philharmonia
Baroque performed Handel's "Jephtha" in Berkeley, but when Nicholas
McGegan brought it to San Francisco's Herbst Theater tonight, its impact
was still astonishing.

Tomorrow, "Jephtha" will travel to Palo Alto, for the last performance
in the series.  That's a shame.  There should be permanent access to
this magnificent work, and in this flawless production.

McGegan and the Philharmonia have never been better.  The three-hour
oratorio seemed to have gone by in one continuous breath, Bruce Lamott's
22-voice Chorale filled the hall with the sound of angels.  And yet, all
that was but the magic carpet for the soloists to fly on.

John Mark Ainsley's Jephtha was vocally splendid, the diction flawless,
and - with a great economy of movement and expression - deeply moving.
His anguish in "Deeper, and deeper still..." was as powerful as anything
in music can be.  As he choked on the final words - "I can no more..."
- and the chorus, with "How dark, O Lord...," drew a merciful carpet of
sound over the unbearable pain of a father about to sacrifice his child,
there was a peak moment art can provide only at its best.

The brilliant soprano Christine Brandes, powerful mezzo Wilke te
Brummelstroete, Daniel Taylor, who is perhaps the most consistent
countertenor around, bass John Ames and soprano Saundra DeAthos as the
Angel combined for a difficult-to-equal cast, all in top form.  It was
a joy. Head to the First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto tomorrow.

Janos Gereben/SF
www.sfcv.org
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