Handel: Messiah [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

George Frideric Handel (Composer), Eugene Ormandy (Conductor), The Philadelphia Orchestra (Orchestra), Eileen Farrell (Performer), Martha Lipton (Performer), Davis Cunningham (Performer), William Warfield (Performer), The Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Eileen Farrell, Martha Lipton, Davis Cunningham, William Warfield, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
• Orchestra: The Philadelphia Orchestra
• Conductor: Eugene Ormandy
• Composer: George Frideric Handel
• Audio CD (July 16, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony Classical
• ASIN: B0000024OE
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,611 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #45 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Oratorios
  • #48 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Noels
  • #52 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Oratorio

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Overture - Eugene Ormandy

2. Comfort ye, my people

3. Every valley shall be exalted

4. And the glory of the Lord

5. Thus saith the Lord

6. But who may abide

7. And He shall purify

8. Behold a virgin shall conceive

9. O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion

10. For unto us a Child is born

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. His yoke is easy

2. Behold the Lamb of God

3. He was despised

4. Surely He hath borne our griefs

5. And with His stripes we are healed

6. All we like sheep have gone astray

7. Lift up your heads

8. Why do the nations?

9. He that dwelleth in Heaven

10. Thou shalt break them

See all 27 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: HANDEL,G.F.
Title: MESSIAH
Street Release Date: 11/12/1985
Domestic
Genre: CLASSICAL COMPOSERS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ormandy Messiah--Without Equal!, November 1, 2001

By 

R. H. Peterson "astronomy buff" (Rigby, ID United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Handel: Messiah (Audio CD)

I grew up hearing this rendition of Handel's Messiah, so I admit I may be biased; however, since my youth I have heard many other recordings and this 1959 Ormandy recording remains my favorite by far!

Some say that the Ormandy rendition is technically inferior to comparatively modern recordings which place more emphasis on period instruments, historical reproduction, etc. I would counter that the Ormandy recording is about the Messiah instead of being just another performance of Handel's Messiah. The tempos--slower than those of more recent recording--give additional meaning to this sacred work and lead the listener to reflect on the religious significance of the work instead of solely considering the technical aspects of its performance. It is from this perspective that the Ormandy recording is perhaps the most artful of all Messiah recordings, as well as the standard against which many others are compared.

The universal complaint regarding the Ormandy recording is that it is not a complete recording. Several segments (principally airs and recitatives) were omitted because of space limitations. In 1995, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, under the direction of Sir David Willcocks, released a second, complete recording of the Messiah. This recording is no doubt more technically accurate than the Ormandy recording, yet still is not as widely regarded or as well known.

I own both Mormon Tabernacle Choir Messiah recordings, but if I had to choose one, it would definitely be the Ormandy version. I couldn't recommend it more highly!

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handel's Messiah At Its Best, December 22, 1999

By 

Harry Littell (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Handel: Messiah (Audio CD)

I began searching for the best Messiah many years ago. I received my first copy of this version as a gift and over the years I have come to realize the manner of presentation, along with the meticulous attention to detail, can only lead one to believe that Handel himself would feel this to be the best. No flamboyancy. No dramatic interpretation. Simply the best recording of the Messiah.

47 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This may be a beloved recording, but not the best, April 12, 2002

By 

albertatamazon (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handel: Messiah (Audio CD)

I also grew up with this recording (on LP) and I also loved it, until I realized what was missing. I had taken it for granted because of the misleading liner notes that it was customary to omit certain numbers. I soon found out otherwise, though, and I discovered that the numbers omitted here are every bit as inspired as the rest of the oratorio.

The other great fault that I find with this recording is that it uses the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as bland a chorus as ever became famous. (The soloists are excellent, but that can also be said of the ones in several other "Messiah" albums.)

I had no idea of what I was really missing until I discovered the Robert Shaw Chorale's 1966 recording, which I heard for the first time in 1974. It has everything that the Ormandy recording does not; instead of heavy, ponderous conducting and a chorus of two hundred singers, it utilizes lively conducting and a chamber chorus, as well as brilliant soloists. With this recording, and with his 1984 remake on Telarc with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus, Shaw established himself as the twentieth century's definitive conductor of "Messiah". Both Shaw versions are now on CD.

Ormandy's recording has much nostalgic meaning for many people, but it cuts as much as forty-five minutes from the two-and-a-half hour score, and can't even begin to compare with Shaw's two magnificent complete recordings. "Messiah" lovers deserve better than a mutilated version of the work.