Handel, arranged by Mozart: Messiah [Import]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer), Charles Mackerras (Conductor), Symphonieorchester des Österreichischen Rundfunks (Orchestra), Edith Mathis (Performer), Peter Schreier (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Edith Mathis, Peter Schreier
• Orchestra: Symphonieorchester des Österreichischen Rundfunks
• Conductor: Charles Mackerras
• Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Audio CD (April 27, 1990)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Archiv Prod Import
• ASIN: B00000E4CH
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,826 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Act I, Sinfonia In E Minor

2. Act I, "Comfort Ye My People", Recitative For Tenor

3. Act I, "Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted", Air For Tenor

4. Act I, "And The Glory Of The Lord", Chorus

5. Act I, "Thus Saith The Lord Of Hosts", Recitative For Bass

6. Act I, "But Who May Abide The Day Of His Coming", Air For Bass

7. Act I, "And He Shall Purify The Sons Of Levi", Chorus

8. Act I, "Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive", Recitative For Alto

9. Act I, "O Thou That Tellest Good Tiding To Zion", Air For Alto

10. Act I, "For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover The Earth", Recitative For Bass

11. Act I, "The People That Walked In Darkness", Air For Bass

12. Act I, "For Unto Us A Child Is Born", Chorus

13. Act I, Pifa In C Major

14. Act I, "There Were Shepherds Abiding In The Field", Recitative For Soprano

15. Act I, "And Lo, The Angel Of The Lord Came Upon Them", Recitative For Soprano

16. Act I, "But Lo, The Angel Of The Lord Came Upon Them", Arioso For Soprano

17. Act I, "And The Angel Said Unto Them", Recitative For Soprano

18. Act I, "And Suddenly There Was With The Angel A Multitude", Recitative For Sopra

19. Act I, "Glory To God In The Highest", Chorus

20. Act I, "Rejoice Greatly", Air For Soprano

See all 59 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handel's Messiah seen through Mozart, November 20, 2004

By 

Alan Craig (Grand Junction,CO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Handel, arranged by Mozart: Messiah (Audio CD)

This recording of Messiah is interesting in the fact that One.

It is "Messiah" as arrainged by W.A. Mozart. 2. It is sung

in German, which does not take anything away from the beauty

of the work. 3. You have soloists and chorus and Orchestra under

a younger Sir Charles Mackerras. As recordings of "Messiah" go

this is actually one of the lovliest ones of the "traditional"

performances available. Once you can get used to hearing this

work in German you realize that the soloists are doing a great

job singing, the chorus delivers wonderful performances and the

Orchestra also delivers. You might be wondering why Mozart got

with "Messiah" . It was a commissison by the

Baron Van Swieten, who wanted the people of Vienna to hear the

work, so he had the libretto translated into German and had

Mozart arrainge the music so the musicians of Vienna could play

it. One of Mozarts best ideas in this work is to have the start

of some of the big choruses Like "For Unto Us a Child is born"

sung by the soloists, who are then joined by the choir. This

works to great effect, also Mozart added some wind sections to

it. This is I think one of the best recordings of the Mozart

arraingement.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The MESSIAH and Mozart, February 3, 2008

By 

Drew "andrew7gmc" (commack, new york United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Handel, arranged by Mozart: Messiah (Audio CD)

Mozart adding his taste to Handel's Messiah was most interesting to listen to. His addition of wood winds playing under the strings really gave you the feel of Mozart. There was a movement that for a moment I thought for a split second that I was listening to THE MAGIC FLUTE. The slight manipulation of notes to fit the german language was nothing different than a soloist adding notes to make thier aria more dramatic. I was totally moved by the alto's rendition of HE WAS DESPISED AND REJECTED OF MEN. The aria plays on of nearly 12 minutes. Yet I did not want it to end. Many of the movements I found to be very slow in tempo, but that did not bother me. 1 star was lost though because I was sad to hear my favorite movement, "THE TRUMPET SHALL SOUND", the flowing trumpet solo was cut, and replaced with a french horn. How can you sing about Gabriel's trumpet without the trumpet? Just a question I will have to ask Heir Mozart when I meet him in the hereafter. All in all, a most enjoyable CD.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grandiose alternate reading of Handel's masterpiece from the eyes of Mozart, August 6, 2007

By 

Abel "AMY" (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handel, arranged by Mozart: Messiah (Audio CD)

The performance also excels.

The score had been re-arranged, some of the original instruments used in Handel's time not being available to the Viennese at the time of Mozart. For instance, the trumpet parts had to be substituted by horns, so "The Trumpet shall Sound" sounds very different from the original Handel arrangement.

Certain arias were also re-arranged, either shortened or cut or sung by different voices. In conclusion, the score is significantly shorter than the original Handel version.

The baroque grandiose effect having been shorn somewhat by substitutions of classical instruments, the vocalists were left with actually more work than the original set up. Here we have a splendid ensemble directed by Mackerras, with top-notch singers headed by Adam, Schreier, Mathis. All are terrific baroque interpretors. The full religious sense and up-lifting spirituality are being fully realised. Theo Adam is one of the best bass bartione voices for the Messiah (the other being Donald McIntyre, in his recording for Karl Richter). His arias are powerful, dramatic and uplifting. Peter Schreier is without doubt the best tenor ever to grace the arias of this great oratorio in German. Edith Mathis sings the soprano parts with such zeal and conviction that lifts this performance from the purely artistic level to a religious level.