Customer Reviews

Messiah - Handel

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I used to sing in Handel's "Messiah" every year under a succession of very good conductors, and so became familiar with the dynamics, mood, and color of the choruses and arias. I also own several recordings of "Messiah", and I'd like to say that this version with Andrew Davis conducting is by far my favorite. Each separate chorus or aria is carefully sung and colored by beautiful orchestration. When Kathleen Battle floats into her part of the duet, "He shall feed his flock", she and her music will make you believe in angels, no matter what your religious inclination.

The chorus achieves that very special and disciplined baroque sound. Their dynamics are perfect and they skip tunefully through some of Handel's most fiendish choruses (I don't care how many times we sang "His Yoke Is Easy" or "All We Like Sheep" - one section, usually the sopranos, either fell behind the rest of us or mumbled the words).

Lastly, I'd like to single out John Aler, the tenor, and Samuel Ramey, the bass, as performing the highlights of this recording, for me. Aler has that clear, flexible, brilliant head voice that is so essential for the Handelian repetoire. Ramey is THE perfect coloratura bass, and he proves it again on this CD. I wish I could find a recording of him in Handel's "Rinaldo".

Forget the "original instruments" versions. You want a big, rich (but not bombastic) "Messiah." This is the version you want. It's light but not insubstantial, gorgeous but not overblown and truly majestic as you imagine the sound should be. Plus Ramey and Battle are in great form. The perfect Christmas gift.

I have performed the Messiah many times - as a soloist, choir member and conductor. This CD sets the standard for all other recordings of the Messiah. The orchestra under Andrew Davis performs with a wide range of emotion, the soloists are brilliant (adding just enough ornamentation to the music to make it enjoyable - not unrecognizable), and the choir is magnificant. A wonderful collaboration of talent. Well done!

I own 34 complete Messiah CD recordings, and various excerpts and vinyl versions. In my view, this recording is world-best at only three points: Kathleen Battle's "If God Be For Us" and "And Lo the Angel of the Lord", and the final "Hallelujah", which I splice on to the otherwise better second Marriner version. Battle's "Rejoice" is fine, but she uses exactly the same concept in three recordings, and her execution here is the weakest of the three. She does it better on her recital disk with Marriner, and better still on her "Grace" recital disk. I find Ramey disappointing; such a great voice, but no intensity in this music, and his "eye" sound is too much like "oy". The other soloists, as well as the chorus and orchestra, are competent but not remarkable. For other modern-instrument Messiahs, either of the Davis or Marriner recordings are better,and Westenberg is supreme, as is the Shaw choral excerpt disk from 1966.

George Frideric Handel's oratorio "Messiah" is almost certainly the single most popular choral work in the whole of Western classical music, and, not surprisingly, there have been dozens upon dozens of recordings of it over the decades, by modern symphonic orchestras, period-instrument players, and chamber orchestras alike. This 1987 recording is one of the best of the symphonic type recordings of the work.

With a quartet of American soloists (Kathleen Battle; Florence Quivar; John Aler; Samuel Ramey), a fine British conductor in Sir Andrew Davis, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, one of Canada's greatest symphonic and choral ensembles, this recording of "Messiah" is brilliantly recorded, with the choir in brilliant form under chorus master Elmer Iseler, and the orchestra giving its all. Davis takes the approach of giving us a grand "Messiah" as close to what Handel originally had in mind when he composed it in 1742, but avoids all the orchestral embellishments made to the work since then, including the still-controversial embellishments made by Sir Eugene Goosens for Sir Thomas Beecham in Beecham's 1959 Royal Philharmonic recording.

The result is a "Messiah" that can stand up to ones made in decades past by legends like Eugene Ormandy, Sir Colin Davis, Sir Georg Solti, and Raymond Leppard. It is vigorously recommended for all seasons, and not just Easter or Christmas.

The chorus is well rehearsed, the tempi are audacious, and the soloists are all fabulous. This is one of the finest recordings of Handel's Messiah ever made.

This is the recording of "Messiah" that I have been needing for years! I have found it to be glorious in sound...full or richness, majesty, power, drama, and exquisite musicianship. Yes...it does sound much "larger" than recordings that stay true to the period's style, but I give Andrew Davis a hand for staying true to Handel's orchestration (he simply uses the FULL orchestra, rather than cutting it down in size), and I love his choices as a conductor both in style and musicality! Some reviews have claimed that the soloists do not "get into the music" enough...I disagree. Kathleen Battle's "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth" is beautiful, and her sensitivity and passion is tremendous! I don't know if there is another soprano who masters baroque music as perfectly as she does! I am a huge fan of Samuel Ramey, and his singing on this recording is superb...and I must say that I was thrilled that he sings "But Who May Abide" and "Thou Art Gone Up On High" (of course, being a baritone, I'm biased). Florence Quivar is wonderful, and her voice is full of richness and depth, while still maintaining a brilliant quality. John Aler does amazing work with his stunning performances of these famous tenor arias and recits, and his clear voice is delightul to listen to. I have enjoyed listening to this recording again and again...simply to take in the beauty of the music that is brought to life in such powerful ways. I'm sure that you'll enjoy it!!!

The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Symphony under Andrew Davis are superlative in this recording. Messiah is so well known that it seems everyone is looking for a gimmick, but this recording is clean, clear, crisp and emminently listenable. Davis does not rush the tempo. Battle, Quivar, Aler and Ramey sing as if they believed the text. The orchestra and chorus have a full sound. This version is a familiar friend.

There are many brilliant moments within this recording including some of the solos, BUT the use of too much brass and an organ give it too much of a 'production number' feel. {My experience with The Messiah includes singing it on stage at Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall ~30 times total among other venues - as a bass section member.} While not a true purist in that all the choral members be male [ala boy sopranos and altos...] a harpsichord, limited brass and a fairly small orchestra is better suited to the baroque music and renditions which are supposed to be emotive, evocative and spiritual. This rendition is just too far into the big, brassy and bassy is better zone!

My wife and I own and listen regularly to a number of versions of The Messiah but this is the one we compare others to and the one to which we return most often. The precision and discipline of this orchestra and chorus are marvelous, the solos thrilling and the 'big moments' awesome. I recommend having lots of Handel around the house and many versions of The Messiah . . . but start with this one. Amazon.com is concerned that listener reviews be helpful to others. I would very much like to read Mr. Hurwitz's Messiah recommendations (or those of other reviewers) and would immediately purchase them to listen for myself. Now, that would be helpful.