37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not only for the Xmas..., November 27, 2001
This review is from: Handel - Messiah / Cleobury, Dawson, Summers, Brandenburg Consort (DVD)
This DVD is a nice surprise: a very good version of Handel's Messiah. Although here we don't see any pretensions of authenticity (like in some performances with no oboes/bassoons, or with the soloists forming part of the choir, etc.), is very authentic indeed. Using the 1752 version, we have a small orchestra, with period instruments (The Brandenburg Consort, including two trumpets, an organ and a harpsichord), and an all-male choir (King's College) - the sopranos are boys with beautiful voices. An excellent team of soloists: the bass (Alastair Miles) haves a strong voice, very adequate to this work; Hillary Summers is a true contralto, with an outstanding timbre, secure at low notes. John Mark Ainsley and Lynne Dawson completes the team - they sing very well, easily in the most difficult passages. Conducting, Stephen Cleobury, an specialist in this field.
The venue is an old church (twelfth century) at the Netherlands, with candle-lit interior: a very calm, pious atmosphere (but some people in the audience must be send to an hospital, to heal his coughing... thank God , they choose to cough only at the moments between the chapters). Camera work is good, with minor faults (like the passage of the trumpeters in front of the camera at the start of "Hallelujah" chorus). But technically speaking, the quality is excellent, as occurs with the sound Dolby 5.1(personally, I would prefer listen more the winds, and less the harpsichord, but the balance of this DVD don't bothered me ).
Unfortunately, there's not extras or subtitles, but you can easily find the chapters (it doesn't occurs in the Haydn's "Schoepfung" DVD, with Schreier conducting).
I'm very satisfied with my copy: the Messiah is a work that lives in my heart - the most wonderful music, the most beautiful message.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth", January 24, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Handel - Messiah / Cleobury, Dawson, Summers, Brandenburg Consort (DVD)
The best performance currently available on VHS or DVD. Stephen Cleobury conducts an early music ensemble with a small orchestra and a choir of men and boys. This version is SATB (as opposed to SSATB). The soloists are very good, the bass is a profundo, and the alto is deep and rich, and the tenor and soprano handle the ornaments with great facility. The tenor's voice seems to have a baritonal quality to it. The soloists are also very telegenic, especially the tenor and soprano. This performance has been broadcast on PBS several times, so it may be familiar at first viewing. And of course the boy singers are beyond cute.
The only visual recording that can compete with it is the one by Christopher Hogwood, but that hasn't been available in any format for some years.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hallelujah Handel!, November 19, 2000
This review is from: Handel - Messiah / Cleobury, Dawson, Summers, Brandenburg Consort (DVD)
If you love the music of Handel then buy this disc. You won't regret it. The performance by the Brandenburg Consort, the Kings College [all male] choir and the four soloists is superb. The video production is tasteful and elegant, shot in 1993 on what appears to have been early HDTV. The picture quality is beautiful, and it is letterboxed -- sadly not 16:9 enhanced, but the picture is so sharp that it easily stands up to zooming to full widescreen.
It is just about the best music DVD I have seen -- or heard! Sound is 5.1 Dolby.
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