Handel - Messiah / M. Marshall ? Quirke ? Robbin ? Brett ? Rolfe Johnson ? Hale ? The Monteverdi Choir ? The English Baroque Soloists ? Gardiner
|
Our Price: $149.83 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $25.28 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Handel - Messiah / M. Marshall ? Quirke ? Robbin ? Brett ? Rolfe Johnson ? Hale ? The Monteverdi Choir ? The English Baroque Soloists ? Gardiner
Free Music Review: direct, immediate, and moving
Hit: 5 Stars
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
Free Music Review: Not a Messiah for grandeur
Hit: 3 Stars
With this and other period recordings we have swung as far as possible from the mamoth Messiah performances associated with English choral festivals. The chrous and instrumentalists here are stipped to the bare essentials, and maybe further than that. I very much favor a professional chorus like the Monteverdi Choir, and its' gratifying that Gardiner doesn't ask them to sing without vibrato, although the strings in the orchestra definitely do, giving that "white" zingy sound that may grate on your ears (it does onmine).
But I am not here to gripe about period recordings, just to say that Pinnok, Higginbottom, McCresh, and others give us a more robust, exciting Messiah than Gardiner. He bleaches out all expressive accents and dramatic phrasing. At times the accompaniments are so mincing and bland as to be wimpish, erasing Handel's enormous exuberance. A Messiah without fervor makes no sense to me, but clearly others reviewers love this one.
From a musical standpoint, the best thing this set has going for it are the soloists. Margaret Marshall, Anthony Rolf-Johnson, and Robert Hale are the standouts, and each can hold his or her own against all comers. For their participation I offer gratitude, but Gardiner's conducting leaves me cold--not a nice way to feel at Christmas.
Free Music Review: Messiah "Burn-Out" Sufferers - This is the cure
Hit: 5 Stars
Having sung and played this piece since my elementary school years, I was on the verge of a major case of "Messiah burn-out". There are only so many mediocre and frankly horrible performances of this work one can stand before this insidious malady wrecks one's enjoyment of this over-exposed work of genius.
When I first heard Gardiner's recording in the late 80's, I was instantly cured and have weathered many more lousy performances since with no waning of my enthusiasm for this work (I can't say the same for Orff's Carmina Burana and Beethoven's 9th). I even shelled out the extra dollars for the unneccesary three CDs (it's nice to know it can now be purchased on a two CD version).
Quite frankly, the choral singing cannot be bettered. The excitement that Gardiner's forces convey with their clean, crisp and often breath-taking performance make this recording a first choice.
Since this recording was released, there have been a number of outstanding period performances that have been added to the catalog. They have much to offer too. I, for one, will always revert to this version, though, in homage to its role in restoring my enthusiasm for the piece.
Free Music Review: Simply superb
Hit: 5 Stars
I have had this recording since the LP days and it has stood the test of time.Free Music Review: Clarity of line and transparency of sound with a likving purpose to every note
Hit: 5 Stars
This recording of this wonderful work has many virtues. It is a small ensemble with skilled singers and a very gifted conductor. Remember this is contrapuntal music with many simultaneous lines - not just a melody with harmony.
Gardiner lets us hear everything and it is wonderful. He also makes everything we here a choice. It is all on purpose. That doesn't mean deliberate or frozen. Heavens no! This piece is alive and every note is going somewhere for a reason. There are surprising interpretations as well. Sharp stacattos, dramatic pauses, strong contrasts. If we take just "Worthy is the Lamb" and the final "Amen" fugue as a case, we note that he comes in strong on the first statement of "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain!". But on the second repeat, it is more of a marvellous contemplation. And the Amen begins very soft as if the chorus is part of the beatific vision and builds. After the first orchestral interlude the chorus comes in strong, but the tempo never picks up. It is rather slow throughout. That allows for a more massive feeling as things seem to mount to the infinite. It may not be my personal preference, but I certainly admire and respect Gardiner for showing me another approach and convincing me of its power and worth.
While this version lets the music carry the drama rather than letting the singers emote as if this were a romantic era opera, there is plenty of emotion and range in this recording. The ornamentation is tastefully done and does add to the expessivenes of the work. "The Trumpet Shall Sound" sounds terrific. Sometimes the natural trumpet can be played out of tune, but Crispian Steele-Perkins nails it. The "Hallelujia Chorus" is actually sung rather than roared and that is nice change. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of energy and power, but it is full volume all the way through. And every word can be understood.
Just imagine if we had heard it this clearly from our childhood and we could have avoided all those misunderstanding of what was being sung!
This is a recording I am very happy to own and it is music making I am grateful to be able to hear again and again. This is wonderful stuff!