GIVING 'MESSIAH' A WHOLE NEW LIFE.

Byline: David Mermelstein Correspondent

IT IS ONE OF the many ironies of the Christmas season that an oratorio appropriate to Easter has become - like ``The Nutcracker,'' ``A Christmas Carol'' and fruitcake - inseparably associated with the holiday celebrating Jesus' birth.

And so it was perhaps inevitable that right around now the Los Angeles Philharmonic would present performances of Handel's most durable large-scale work. Less anticipated was that the execution would reveal a freshness and energy infrequently encountered in a work that has unfairly become a holiday chestnut.

For renewing one's appreciation, audiences can thank Canadian conductor Bernard Labadie, whose mastery of Handel's masterly oratorio was evident from the first bars of the overture. Labadie favored brisk tempos, but only rarely did he rush.

The small orchestra was composed of Philharmonic players, but not many: just two oboes, two bassoons, two trumpets, two double basses, three cellos, four violists, handfuls of violinists and a pair of kettle drums. A harpsichordist and organist (playing a small chamber instrument, not the newly installed pipe organ) provided continuo.

Labadie favored a tight, cleanly articulated sound, possibly intending for the instruments to mimic the precision of the singers. The players responded eagerly, sounding if not quite Baroque than certainly not Romantic or Modern, either. And in the final air, ``The Trumpet Shall Sound,'' principal trumpeter Donald Green offered obbligato work both clarion and plangent, his sound ricocheting through the auditorium as if Disney Hall were a cathedral.

Rather than use local forces for the all-important chorus, Labadie brought his own, La Chapelle de Quebec, which he founded in 1985. The 35 singers were arranged toward the back of the stage, one deep, and fanning out to form a wide crescent on the hall's built-in risers. They had extraordinary presence and sounded greater than their number. Their enunciation was enviable, their texture rich but tightly woven and their sonic image ideally balanced.

The four vocal soloists also made a favorable impression. Tenor John Tessier's light voice, bass Nathan Berg's gravelly tone and soprano Karina Gauvin's bright sound offered multifarious rewards. But it was star German countertenor Andreas Scholl, taking the alto role, who dominated the quartet.

Not only was his singing a wondrous amalgam of purity and ``character,'' his English letter-perfect, but he evinced an involvement in the music - in the text, really - that eluded his fellow soloists, as it does most performers. Scholl's movements, his stage presence, if you will, made him almost a narrator, relating, well, the Greatest Story Ever Told. It was powerful and engaging and only enhanced his magnetic music-making.

For those without a ticket to this weekend's performances, tonight's will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. on KUSC-FM (91.5).

HANDEL'S MESSIAH - Four stars

What: Bernard Labadie conducts the L.A. Philharmonic, La Chapelle de Quebec and four vocal soloists.

Where: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 8 tonight and 2 p.m. Sunday.

On radio: Tonight's performance will be broadcast live on KUSC-FM (91.5).

Tickets: $15 to $125. [phone] or www.laphil.com.

In a nutshell: A holiday chestnut gets a fresh, highly charged performance from a Canadian conductor and his crack chorus. The presence of superstar German countertenor Andreas Scholl only adds to the novelty.