Name: George Frideric Handel : "Messiah"
Original title : George Frideric Handel: Messiah
Year: 1966
Genre : Classical, Baroque, Oratorio
Conductor : Sir Colin Davis
Artist : John Wakefield (tenor), John Shirley-Quirk (bass-baritone), Heather Harper (soprano), Helen Watts (mezzosoprano), London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra

Description:

Like the way you might remember your first date, I remember the first Handel's Messiah that I ever bought. It was a 1966 performance featuring the London Symphony Orchestra led by Sir Colin Davis and representing an amalgamation of the various versions of this choral masterpiece. As far as authenticity goes, however, there is truly no "authentic" version since Handel was constantly revising the Messiah during the final two decades of his life.

While there are scores of recorded Messiahs out there, in varying formats, I have always returned to this one with its archetypal English artists, including young soloists John Wakefield (tenor), John Shirley-Quirk (bass-baritone), Heather Harper (soprano ) and Helen Watts (mezzosoprano), all of whom were in their thirties at the time of this recording. The performance is buoyed by the clear diction of the superb John Alldis-led LSO chorus and the brisk (but not overly so) tempi chosen by Maestro Davis.

Both Christmas and Easter sections are included so that everyone gets their favorite moment, the "Hallelujah" chorus. For those who know this work well (I include myself in that number having been a chorister in a "do-it-yourself" Messiah with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), highlights abound. My personal "magic moment" is the air, "I know that my Redeemer liveth", a soprano solo that simply takes me to a different place. There have been bigger name artists that have recorded this solo but none brings me greater pleasure than does Heather Harper. The sense of innocence and purity that her lyric soprano conveys in a less florid than usual style simply carries the day. Of course, the other singers hold up their respective ends of the bargain as well.

quote
Tracklist :
Oratorio In Three Parts
• Part I
01 Symphony 4:08
02 No. 1 Accompagnato. Comfort Ye, Comfort Ye, My People (Tenor) 3:08
03 No. 2 Air. Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted (Tenor) 3:26
04 No. 3 Chorus. And The Glory Of The Lord 2:46
05 No. 4 Accompagnato. Thus Saith The Lord (Bass) 1:30
06 No. 5 Air. But Who May Abide The Day Of His Coming (Alto) 4:19
07 No. 6 Chorus. And He Shall Purify The Sons Of Levi 2:14
08 No. 7 Recitative. Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive (Mezzosoprano) / Nos. 8-9 Air And Chorus. O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings (Mezzosoprano, Chorus) 6:39
09 No. 10 Accompagnato. For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover The Earth (Bass) / No. 11 Air. The People That Walked In Darkness (Bass) 6:00
10 No. 12 Chorus. For Unto Us A Child Is Born 3:56
11 No. 13 Pifa. Pastoral Symphony 3:02
12 No. 14 Recitative. There Were Shepherds (Soprano) / Accompagnato. And Lo, The Angel Of The Lord (Soprano) / Recitative. And The Angel Said Unto Them (Soprano) / Accompagnato. And Suddenly There Was With The Angel (Soprano) 1:26
13 No. 15 Chorus. Glory To God In The Highest 1:53
14 No. 16 Air. Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter Of Zion (Zion) 4:10
15 No. 17 Recitative. Then Shall The Eyes Of The Blind (Mezzosoprano) 0:28
16 No. 18 Duet. He Shall Feed His Flock (Mezzosoprano, Soprano) 5:09
17 No. 19 Chorus. His Yoke Is Easy 2:08
• Part II
18 No. 20 Chorus. Behold The Lamb Of God 3:07
19 No. 21 Air. He Was Despised (Mezzosoprano) 9:30
20 No. 22 Chorus. Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs / No. 23 Chorus. And With His Stripes We Are Healed / No. 24 Chorus. All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray 8:46
21 No. 25 Accompagnato. All They That See Him (Tenor) 0:46
22 No. 26 Chorus. He Trusted In God 2:22
23 No. 27 Accompagnato. Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart (Tenor) 1:44
24 No. 28 Arioso. Behold, And See (Tenor) 1:22
25 No. 29 Accompagnato. He Was Cut Off (Tenor) / No. 30 Aria. But Thou Didst Not Leave (Soprano) 2:50
26 No. 31 Chorus. Lift Up Your Heads 3:13
27 No. 32 Recitative. Unto Which Of The Angels (Tenor) / No. 33 Chorus. Let All The Angels Of God 1:39
28 No. 34 Air. Thou Art Gone Up On High (Alto) 3:18
29 No. 35 Chorus. The Lord Gave The Word 1:09
30 No. 36 Air. How Beautiful Are The Feet (Soprano) 2:28
31 No. 37 Chorus. Their Sound Is Gone Out 1:32
32 No. 38 Air. Why Do The Nations (Bass) 2:43
33 No. 39 Chorus. Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder 1:39
34 No. 40 Recitative. He That Dwelleth In Heaven (Tenor) / No. 41 Air. Thou Shalt Break Them (Tenor) 2:23
35 No. 42 Chorus. Hallelujah 3:51
• Part III
36 No. 43 Air. I Know That My Redeemer Liveth (Soprano) 6:16
37 No. 44 Chorus. Since By Man Came Death 2:08
38 No. 45 Accompagnato. Behold, I Tell You A Mystery (Bass) 0:37
39 No. 46 Air. The Trumpet Shall Sound (Bass) 8:30
40 No. 47 Recitative. Then Shall Be Brought To Pass (Alto) / No. 48 Duet. O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? (Alto, Tenor) / No. 49 Chorus. But Thanks Be To God 3:48
42 No. 50 Air. If God Be For Us (Alto) 4:19
43 No. 51 Chorus. Worthy Is The Lamb / Blessing And Honour / No. 52 Chorus. Amen 7:10

Issued: USA | Decca
Duration: 2:23:55