Customer Reviews

Handel - Messiah / Augér, von Otter, Chance, Crook, Tomlinson, English Concert, Pinnock

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Handel's MESSIAH is one of the most recorded works in the CD catalogue and finding the particular performance that moves you is difficult. There is no 'one way' to perform this perennial favorite, though some will demand that the work be performed on period instruments and with the quality of tone and ornamentation assigned by scholars to Handel's time. Others want the drama of a Beecham or Ormandy performance. Some listen for the tiny choral ensemble while for others the massed chorus is most important for the drama. Some buy their version for the soloists, others for the conductor. Given all of these variations and having listened to most of the performances available on recordings, I inevitably return to this recording as conducted by Trevor Pinnock. In this recording the superb soloists (Arleen Auger, Anne Sophie von Otter, Michael Chance, Howard Crook and John Tomlinson) seem at one with the orchestral and choral forces, individuality is secondary to the overall effect of this very tender, celebratory, and dramatic oratorio performance. Just light enough to satisfy the toughest of the baroque aficiondos yet with enough intensity to make the more romantic period devotees happy. Some grateful additions are the use of the countertenor to sing some of the alto parts. Overall of these attributes conductor Pinnock has a firm grasp of the overall 'story' and effect. The flow of the work is steady right to the ending chorus. This is a very fine 'total thinking' of a masterwork.

Much as I have enjoyed recordings of Messiah by Beecham, (Colin) Davis, Mackerras, Hogwood, Gardiner and Christie over the years, Pinnock's is the version that I feel best captures the spirit and beauty of Handel's immortal masterwork. It provides the best of both worlds - combining the clarity and fluency of period instruments with the power and gravitas of the best English choral tradition. Soloists and chorus sing in accordance with historically informed practice but are not afraid to invest their performances with emotion and humanity.
Pinnock's tempi have been criticised by some for being too slow but I disagree. Other conductors treat the opening Sinfonia like the overture of a baroque orchestral suite. Pinnock emphasises the solemnity and portent in the music, underlining the momentous event that is about to unfold - namely, the arrival of the Messiah. The soloists are uniformly excellent without a single weak link; it's almost unfair to single out individuals but mention has to be made of Auger's radiantly pure singing in Parts I and III; von Otter's eloquent "He was despised" - the central jewel of this performance - and Chance's unique voice - IMHO warmer and more sensitive than any countertenor before or since.
The recording balance is near perfect - a warm but not over-resonant acoustic which lends a satisfying body to the big choruses, so that the cries of "Wonderful Consellor" ring out lustily while the Hallelujah and Amen choruses have a power that never fails to bring a tingle to my spine and tears to my eyes.
While I have enjoyed the fresh insights that new recordings may bring, I think I will always return to Pinnock's version to remind me what makes Messiah great and why I will always love it so.

This is one of those few complete recordings of Messiah that I find have a consistently high quality throughout all the movements. Pinnock is on top form in this superbly-recorded DG performance, and his period-instrument orchestra does ample justice to this rich and expansive Handel score, with a keen sense of structure and pacing. It's true that some of the numbers might sound a shade underpaced, but this doesn't mean that the performance is mannered. Yet, he is greatly helped by a first-class team of soloists, frevent choral singing and sumptuous, clear recording in the Abbey Road Studios of Beatles fame.

The female soloists really shine in this recording, especially the late soprano Arleen Auger and her radiant voice. You can hear the bright tones to great effect in the optimistic arias Rejoice Greatly and I Know That My Redeemer Liveth. Yet there is a tender side to the voice, in her duet with Anne Sofie von Otter in He Shall Feed His Flock. Anne Sofie von Otter makes a superb mezzo soloist, with a superb and well-trained voice that allows her to sound generally better than she does today. The highlight of her contribution to this recording is a heartbreaking rendition of the epic aria He Was Despised and Rejected of Men. Among the male soloists, Michael Chance produces a velvety sound in his smooth-toned performance, especially in the difficult arias But Who May Abide and Thou Art Gone Up On High. Howard Crook makes a fine tenor soloist with the music he has, and John Tomlinson has a weighty bass sound. It's true that this bass sound could be more expansive, but he nevertheless gives a commanding performance of his key arias Why o The Nations and The Trumpet Shall Sound. The choral singing has fervour, but could do with more bite and presence. Nevertheless Pinnock's direct account allows everything to be held in control, and he is accorded some sumptuous and clear digital recording. The booklet features a comprehensive essay by Donald Burrows.

Overall, this Messiah is definitely a keeper for anyone who wants a great Messiah. It id destined to rank as a classic recording in its own right, along with accounts by the likes of Gardiner, Solti and Robert Shaw.

For me this is perhaps the most satisfying of the modern(relatively!)readings.Of course, no one performance could ever really hope to capture all the myriad nuances of this masterpiece,and in the course of building a basic library of classical cds:I've somehow managed to acquire seven different recordings,and I wouldn't be without a single one of them! Yet ,it is this particular one that I find myself pulling down from the shelf most often,for the following reasons: 1.I've always felt that the aria,"He was despised" is the heart of this great oratorio.It acts as a kind of gravitational centre, that all the other arias and choruses reverentially revolve around.It's customary to lop off a fair chunk off it in most performances,but here it is rightly allowed it's full length,and believe me in Anne Sofie von Otter's stunning rendition,it's as close as you'll come to having your heart broken in music. 2.Arleen Auger(sadly missed)has always been one of my favourite sopranos,and certainly she is in heavenly form here.Maybe it,s perverse of me,but her rendition of " I know that my redeemer liveth"-excellent though it is-doesn't move me as I really expected it to.I can't explain why,and it's my only slight disappointment in the entire recording.Maybe I was spoiled by hearing Margaret Marshall,s unsurpassed reading under John Eliot Gardiner, the very first time I discovered Messiah.Still,there is much of her voice to treasure here,and no where more than in the quite gorgeous,"He shall feed his flock".No more perfectly poised and modulated performance of this duet(another laurel to Von Otter here)will you find on Earth, or in HeavenI'm willing to bet. 3.Michael Chance's "Who shall abide..." is one of the glories of Part 1,and for me it's one of the finest things he has ever commited to disc. 4.Last,and quite definitely not least, is the lynchpin bass John Tomlinson.I got the feeling that he could leave the studio and personally shake the Heavens and the Earth!Extraordinary depth and resonance to his voice. So all in all,if I had only time to rescue one performance of Messiah from my burning house I would grab this one.Yes, I would miss the other interpretations:but there is more than enough beauty, courtesy of Trevor Pinnock and his "dream team" to console for a lifetime. Do yourself a favour;buy this recording right now,and if you remain unmoved,then you don't really like music at all.

What a wonderful, exciting recording of Handel's venerable masterpiece.

I suppose by now I must have heard Messiah live a dozen or so times, and I must have heard at least two dozen recordings.

In the baroque tradition, it is so wide open to interpretation no two performances can ever sound the same. That's part of the excitement of the baroque fach.

This remarkable recording strives for authenticity without seeming to be covered by a layer of dust or, even worse, mold.

It succeeds magnificently. The performance is straight forward and unencumbered by centuries of troweled on nonsense. It is a performance Mr. Handel himself would have recognized. And yet, it is a performance that is perfectly modern as well. The soloists all know their music and are comfortable with it.

While it would be supremely unfair to single out any one of the outstanding soloists, I cannot help but call attention to the beautiful contribution here from the magnificent Arleen Auger. Tragically, she would be taken from us barely four years after this recording was made. She was, here, at the absolute pinnacle of her formidable artistic powers. It is a fitting tribute to the great contribution she made to the art form she so obviously loved.

Finally, not enough can be said of Trevor Pinnock. His intelligence allows Handel to be the driving force of this performance. Pinnock never gets in the way of the composer and, therefore, leaves his usual stamp of excellence on the performance.

This is, simply, a great recording.

This is a great "Messiah" -- fun to listen to, and rarely drags. My quibbles are few, but I do have some. First, I take issue with the division of alto/counter-tenor solos. I think it should be performed by a counter-tenor with enough range. I have heard any number of fantastic counter-tenors who can pull it off. It was written for a man, after all. Speaking of which, this was written for a choir of men and boys. The pretension towards authenticity, with period instruments etc, is nothing more than that -- mere pretension -- without a boys and men choir. Finally, I agree with the amazon.com reviewer in the criticism of the bass soloist; he is the weakest link in the recording -- boring and mushy-sounding. But all in all, a great recording. Better "Messiah"s are out there, but they are certainly few and far between.

Of the six versions of "Messiah" in my collection, this one is, in my opinion, the best. A previous reviewer described it as "good, but not perfect". I'm not sure that any recording of works of this magnitude can ever be "perfect", but this comes closest. An excellent, full-blooded version which is good in all departments. The soft and tender bits are soft and tender and full of feeling, without ever becoming schmaltzy, and Handel's wonderful choruses bounce and skip along at exhilarating speed without ever becoming breathless.

... This Messiah has recently been re-released at a much cheaper price. Go back and look for the DG "The Originals" release, which is being sold new for under $12.

This is my favorite "authentic" Messiah along with William Christie's. The orchestral playing is first rate, with no period instrument abrasivnes and no obtrusive quickish tempi. The soloists are marvellous! If you want just one recording of "Messiah", get this one.

This is a great performance and a very good recording. The soloists are full but crisp and clear, the tempo perfect--never lagging, and the instrumentals inspiring, delecate & united.