Customer Reviews

Handel: Messiah (The Complete Oratorio)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I scoff at anyone who says that this recording is boring or has poor sound quality. I have found the recording to be the best out of all my Messiah recordings as well as the recording that is the truest to Handel's original intentions and scope. Most copies of Messiah contain overly large choirs that fail to capture many of the nuances that Handel built into this Oratorio. The smaller orchestra/choir size allows the listener to hear many artfully performed and skillfully composed sections that one would miss in a recording with a larger orchestra. This CD is skillfully executed. Of particular favorite is the third piece of the Part Two, SURELY HE HATH BORNE OUR GRIEFS AND CARRIED OUR SORROWS. The chorus is at its best here and treats the middle adagio section with much grace and humility. This is the premier copy of Handel's Messiah and should be heard so that the listener can appreciate what Handel had originally intended before conductors made the mistake of trying to enlarge the already great piece.

I have to concur with Mr. Scott A. Steiner in saying that this is one of, if not the best rendition of Handel's Messiah I have heard. Additionally, the way the voices circle, diverge and then coalese in 'O Death ..' is just stunning. An outstanding recording.

True to the Shaw tradition, this recording is magnificent, well executed, and accurate. It is tough to go through the holidays without being able to look forward to a new Shaw recording, but his genius for choral work is showcased here for the ages.

I had a version of the Messiah on vinyl and needed to replace it. After listening to five other versions of the Messiah at Barnes and Noble, I purchased this one. I was looking for version that had soloists I could understand, great sound and a chorus that sounded like more than 12 people. This one had it all. The airs are well done. The elocution of the soloists was excellant. You can understand every word. If you want a complete Messiah, with a traditional sound, then this is the one to buy. Robert Shaw made effort to capture the original essence of the original Messiah. It shows. This version is not as somber as the old vinyl one I have featuring Jerome Hines and others.

Robert Shaw's RCA recording of Messiah from the mid-1960s remains a preferred recording of this warhorse. I don't think this remake from 1983 captures the magic of the earlier version. For one thing, I prefer Shaw's earlier solo quartet (Judith Raskin, Florence Kopleff, Richard Lewis, and Thomas Paul). Raskin and Kopleff are particularly good, among the best to have left us accounts of this music. Richard Stilwell (bass) is possibly better than his counterpart Thomas Paul. His baritone timbre is better suited to the bass part, which tends to lie a little high for most basses.

The Atlanta strings sound smoother than the occasionally wiry sound of Shaw's orchestra of twenty years earlier. The chorus, however, cannot match the precision of Shaw's Chorale.

I can't agree with earlier postings about "cavernous" sound. This Soundstream effort of 25 years ago sounds as forward and airy as many recordings of more recent vintage.

I'd still opt for the earlier Shaw/RCA, but this is no slouch.

I've heard many recordings of the Messiah, and I can say without hesitation that I find Shaw's to be the singular best. Some of the movements on these two CDs are particularly magnificent, particularly "and He shall purify," "surely he hath borne our griefs," and "the trumpet shall sound." Also, I credit Shaw for including a portion of the Messiah that is too often strangely omitted - "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" The orchestration is really perfect, and for those of you with the score, you'll notice this piece is very loyal to it, but is simultaneously delivered with a fresh and thrilling spin at several movements. The late Robert Shaw has delivered a recording of the Messiah that Christians and classical music lovers everywhere will love forever.

This was one of the very first CD's I ever purchased of anything - bought back in the early '90's. I have listened to it hundreds of times and have not become tired of it. There may be better recordings out there but I have never felt the need to replace it - it is still my only Messiah CD.
My only criticism is that the timing seems a little rushed, especially the track, "Since By Man Came Death". Other than that nothing is left out (this is not a "highlights" CD) and the music is as powerful and uplifting as you would expect the Messiah to be.
Also a good booklet with the CD with extensive historical notes (English only), all the lyrics and short bio's of the five soloists.
Overall I don't think you will be disappointed with this CD unless you are a music expert who can detect the minor flaws that exist in most everything recorded.

An excellent recording of the Messiah. The choruses are flawless with perfect rhythm, probably the best renderings of the Messiah choruses I've ever heard including live performances by Boston's Handel and Hayden Society. Soloists are also very good though balance between them and orchestra could be better at points. In particular, the orchestra tends to cover the pianissamo passages of soprano airs (e.g. opening of I Know that My Redeemer Liveth although this may be a limitation of my relatively old equipment). One performance oddity is thae some aria that are often sung by Tenor are sung by Soprano here which I found slightly odd when I first listened to this CD. Over time I have warmed to aspect of this recording.

I guess I am spoiled, but I truly like the older Shaw recording of Messiah better than the new one, and I have both of them. To me, these two stand light years above and beyond any other recordings on the market. I had the privilege of hearing in concert in person the Shaw Chorale present the earlier recording of Messiah, and have loved it since the mid 60s. The phrasings, entrances, tempi, diction have, in my opinion never been cleaner, crisper, or equaled, nor will they ever be--on BOTH recordings. In addition, on the later recoring he used only the ASO CHAMBER chorus, a smaller group within the full ASO chorus. He followed Handel's intentions, both in terms of numbers of singers and instrumentalists for both recordings, allowing for different personnel in the different performances that occurred during Handel's lifetime. Thankfully, BMG, formerly RCA, has finally released the older recording, which Mr. Shaw took at a faster tempo generally, and, based on his own comments in the booklet accompanying the 3 LP set, that older recording was based insofar as possible on the 1752-53 version of the work. He used the Watkins Shaw edition of the score (published by the British house of Novello), and the joy of the work literally shines through--on both recordings. You can't go wrong either way; I just happen to like the older recording better. I thank God I had the privilege of singing under him in the Brahms' Requiem in German less than a year before his death. Messiah and the Brahms--What a combination.!!

I love this! This is the best "Messiah" recording ever made. I listen to it every day(literally).