CLEVELAND, Ohio – Think you know Handel’s “Messiah”? Think again.

Even Bernard Labadie, who’s performed it countless times, and will perform it again this week with the Cleveland Orchestra, hasn’t fully plumbed its depths.

Never mind that it’s nearly 300. To him, it’s a work that never gets old.

“Every time I do it, I’m always amazed that I find new things, or at least things I’d forgotten,” said Labadie, music director of Les Violins du Roy and La Chapelle de Québec, two of Canada’s most distinguished early music ensembles. “There’s a reason it’s such a popular piece.”

Make that many reasons. Likewise, with Labadie on the podium this week, there are many reasons for listeners – even those who know “Messiah” well – to be excited.

Below are a few of the conductor’s favorite observati

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