Customer Reviews

Handel: Messiah

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This 1982 Phillips _Messiah_ by Sir John Gardiner is still very often recomended as the best. But keep in mind that no version is generaly recognized as definative so it's wise to sample before purchase. With that in mind, I'm happy to say that right now (Oct 2004) you can hear all the tracks over on Amazon's page for another boxset of this same recording.

Actually there's three, this two disk Phillips version, an older three disk version (the identical recording but with the same tracks spread over three disks and therefore higher priced), and a one disk 'highlights'.

Search Gardiner Handel Messiah to jump to the three disk page, Sample from disk two _The Lord gave the word_, and _Why do the nations?..._ This will demonstrate how every part of the staged ensemble can be discerned with clarity, in either chorus or aria.

Precision playing is a Gardiner trademark. Note his style is stately rather than devotional; the presentation is dramatic and energetic, rather than emotional. As a result I found this recording of lasting appeal, and never got tired of it over all these years.

This is one of the best versions of Handel's Messiah. J. Eliot Gardiner is always great with conducting oratorios and this version is done on authentic instruments with a smaller choir. The choir singing is excellent -- the tempos for such favorites such as "For unto us a Child is born" is just perfect -- not too fast or slow, but graceful and lively. The soprano, Margaret Marshall, is particularly outstanding and beautiful, especially on arias such as "Rejoice Greatly," and "For My Redeemer Liveth." The tenor, Rolfe Johnson is also wonderful. Some of the alto pieces are sung by a male alto and others by the female alto. The only soloist that I found somewhat disappointing was the bass, especially on "For the trumpet shall sound" -- his singing was pretty heavy-handed and not distinct enough on the words "for the trumpet shall sound." (I listen to other versions for the bass solos).

That aside, I still love this version of the Messiah and would rate it as one of the best versions of Handel's Messiah alongside Trevor Pinnock's version, which I also highly recommend.

This recording is a reissue of Phillips 411041 which is a Three

Disc set. Universal Classics which includes Decca who now owns

Phillips decided to make this recording a little bit more

affordable by issuing it on Two CDs It is still one of the best

"Original Instrument" "Messiah" recordings on the market today.

This in an ever growing field of Messiah recordings. Enjoy.

Some believe Handel's "Messiah" is best performed by massive choirs accompanied by gigantic orchestras playing modern instruments. I do not. Those performances, whatever their overpowering grandiosity, end up being ponderous and remote. They simply lack the immediacy, intimacy, and direct emotive power of this smaller ensemble accompanied by period instruments.

Gardiner's recording of the "Messiah" is, far and away, my favorite. It is clear and crisp. The tempo and instrumentation are lively. The vocals are close, personal, and genuinely moving.

This is what the "Messiah" should be. The layers of pomposity afflicting so many grandiose recordings have been stripped away, leaving an immediate sound and starkly human story with which the listener connects directly.

The soloists all are wonderful. I suppose that some modern ears, unaccustomed to the sound of a counter-tenor, may find Charles Brett's voice a little off-putting at first. I have grown to love it.

But I particularly like the use of the boy soprano, Saul Quirke, who tells us of "shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night" when "lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid."

Sore afraid indeed! No other recording of this passage that I have heard so effectively communicates the terror these shepherds must have felt. I connect with them as human beings, and I share their relief as Saul Quirke's clear, innocent, unaffected voice reassures them: "Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." The boy soprano then accomplishes a perfect segue: "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heav'nly host, praising God, and saying . . . ."

"Glory to God in the highest," the chorus comes in, "and peace on earth, good will towards men." With this recording, I can I feel I'm there with the shepherds, in the cold of night, sharing their amazement and wonder. Thanks to the small size of the choir, perhaps, it feels as though the angelic host is directly addressing me, a human mortal.

Truly, no other performance of the "Messiah" puts me there, smack dab in the middle of the action, like this one does. My other recordings of the "Messiah" gather dust. This one gets played again and again - always fresh, vibrant, and moving.

Eric Alan Isaacson

I first heard this version of The Messiah in 1988. Nearly 20 years later, I have yet to hear a better production. There are, I theorize, two reasons for this. First, you'll note that the choir is conservative in number. Rather than go for a big and grand sound with more members, this choir gives a full and precise vocal response with less members. If you have rhapsody, or if you can login to a Rhapsody trial, listen to my absolute favorite choral performance, His Yoke Is Easy. The last 30 seconds you'll hear "His Yoke is Easy .......... AND his burden is light" The "and" is hit with absolute accuracy and tightness.

I do not know if the orchestra was treated the same way; but, again, the string and brass section provide a full and grand sound. Another reviewer mentioned the unbelievable arias and I concur with his recommendation.

But, second, I have to say that the selling point of this CD set is the use of a boy soprano for the recitative "There were shepherds abiding in the field". Listen first to any other recording of this recitative. It will be by a female soprano. This version is by a boy soprano. Listen to this one next and it will make you wish you were with the shepherds that night long ago.

Some quick final notes. I am disappointed in the Amen's at the end of Messiah -- it should be largo, not allegro. The bass/baritone solos are powerful and nearly intimidating -- note Why Do The Nations. I could do without the counter-tenors, but it's still Handel's music that seeps into the soul regardless of the tone. Again, listen to other samples from other cd's -- I'm POSITIVE that this is the one you will buy.

NO VICTORIAN SANCTIMONIOUS POMP IN THIS 'MESSIAH'" SAYS GARDINER.
John Eliot Gardiner's period instrument version can be confidently mentioned in the same breath with any of the great "Messiah" recordings of the past. In fact, in many ways, at the time of this recording (1982) it was the most completely satisfying "Messiah" ever released. Using the reduced performing forces and older instruments that are common to almost every "Messiah" recording of the last couple decades, Gardiner nevertheless projects almost all of the oratorio's size and significance in a performance that is still very intimate in its physical dimensions and sound.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Monteverdi Choir gives a superb performance in this album. Gardiner creates a perfect balance in the voice parts and has the ability to showcase the right voice part at the right time and it is not always the main melody. It is really a treat to hear this type of interpretation and particularly in this work. Moreover,the choir sings with great joy and devotional intensity.

My PERSONAL assessment of the soloists is as follows: Margaret Marshall (soprano) while possessing all the correctness she should have is simply mediocre if compared to many other sopranos (who have recorded this) such as Sylvia McNair. The same description could apply to Catherine Robbin (Mezzo) if you compare her to Anne Sofie Von Otter. The Tenor Anthony Rolfe-Johnson is a joy to hear; his voice is rich and his delivery simply wonderful; every sound perfection. Robert Hale is an excellent bass and performs his solos quite well. The least skilled in his solos is the countertenor: Charles Brett. What a disappointment when he sang 'But who may abide the day of his coming'. His voice lacked buoyancy, interest and showed no drama which ruined it for me. He did it correctly, but completely academically. The irony is that in 1982 Gardiner had in his group a countertenor who was to become (within a few years) the KING of all countertenors: Michael Chance.

However, when it comes to soloists,I think we all have our preferences to which we are fully entitled, so anyone else would probably not assess this aspect as I do!

GRAMOPHONE: 'A splendid record.....The subdued opening of the 'Hallelujah' and 'Amen' choruses are ideas that really do work, at any rate, when there is inspired direction as Gardiner gives. All his forces, vocal and orchestral, respond, as does the listener..'

Gardiner says it best about his recording:"The delight in all of this lies in combining the agile adult voices with the transparency and expressive range of period instruments. Their combined technical virtuosity serves not as an end, but as a means of ridding "Messiah" of its Victorian sanctimonious pomp. In this way the Handelian yoke is made easy and his burden light."

This is the most superb version of the Messiah that I have ever heard; I gave it as a gift and I hope the version that I gave sounds okay

There is no recording of Messiah that even comes close to The Monteverdi Choir's performance. John Elliot Gardiner, the choir and the instrumental ensemble are one! I wish I could have been there for that recording.

If you're like me, and you prefer to hear Baroque music played only on early instruments in the style of their day, then you'll appreciate this CD. I am especially impressed with Gardiner's interpretation of the Hallelujah Chorus. In proper Baroque fashion, the music is terraced, and surprisingly starts off rather soft, but with the expert choir and agile orchestra, the build to the climactic forte is refreshing and inspiring, as it should be.

I am less impressed with the lead singers, however. The soprano has a very quick and rather harsh vibrato, and the bass's pronunciation of "people" in "Why to the people imagine a vain thing?" gets on my nerves a bit. In spite of these faults, it is hard not to enjoy this recording. I think it may have partly to do with the association of this music with Christmas, for which I am willing to relax a few of my higher (haughtier?) musical standards.

I searched through about 50 different versions of the Messiah looking for the one with the best overall quality, and this is it. Having heard this music my whole life, I've never encountered a better, clearer, more precise execution. We ended up purchasing a copy for each of our friends, and they unanimously agree.