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| |  | Religion & Spirituality | Home » » » Handel - Messiah / Ameling · A. Reynolds · Langridge · Howell · Marriner | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | Neville Marriner's 1976 account of the Covent Garden version of the score (1743), with the Academy and Chorus of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and soloists Elly Ameling, Anna Reynolds, Philip Langridge, and Gwynne Howell, is positively plush-sounding but nicely animated. I'd love to have this kind of string tone for, say, the Dvorák Serenade, but for Handel it may be just a bit much. --Ted Libbey | | | Product Details: | | | Audio CD Release Date:
| October 17, 1995 | | Studio:
| Decca | | Number Of Discs:
| 2 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 29 reviews |
| | | Track Listing: | | | Disc: 1 | | | 1. | Messiah: No 1 Symphony | | 2. | Messiah: Nos 2/3 Recitative & Air Tenor. Comfort ye my people... Every valley shall be exalted | | 3. | Messiah: No 4 Chorus: And the glory of the Lord | | 4. | Messiah: Nos 5 - 6 Recitative & Air bass: Thus saith the Lord... But who may abide | | 5. | Messiah: No 7 Chorus: And he shall purify | | 6. | Messiah: Nos 8 - 9 Recitative & Air alto & Chorus: Behold, a virgin shall conceive... O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion | | 7. | Messiah: Nos 10-11 Recitative & Air bass: For behold, darkness shall cover the earth... The people that walked in darkness | | 8. | Messiah: No 12 Chorus: For unto us a child is born | | 9. | Messiah: No 13 Pifa | | 10. | Messiah: Nos 14 - 16 Recitative soprano: There were sheperds, abiding in the field... And lo! the angel of the Lord come upon them... And the angel said unto them... And suddenly there was with the angel | | 11. | Messiah: No 17 Chorus: Glory to God in the highest | | 12. | Messiah: No 18 Air soprano: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion | | 13. | Messiah: Nos 19 - 20 Recitative and Aria alto: Then shall the eyes... He shall feed his flock | | 14. | Messiah: No 21 Chorus: His yoke is easy | | 15. | Messiah: No 22 Chorus: Behold the Lamb of God | | 16. | Messiah: No 23 Air alto: He was despised | | | Disc: 2 | | | 1. | Messiah: No. 24 Chorus: Surely he hath borne our griefs | | 2. | Messiah: No. 25 Chorus: And with his stripes | | 3. | Messiah: No. 26 Chorus: All we like sheep | | 4. | Messiah: Nos. 27 - 28 Recitative tenor & Chorus: All they that see him... He trusted in God | | 5. | Messiah: Nos. 29 - 30 Recitative & Arioso soprano: Thy rebuke hath broken his heart... Behold and see | | 6. | Messiah: Nos. 31 - 32 Recitative & Air tenor: He was cut off out of the land of the living... But thou didst not leave his soul in hell | | 7. | Messiah: No. 33 Chorus: Lift up your heads | | 8. | Messiah: Nos. 34 - 35 Recitative tenor & Chorus: Unto which of the angels... Let all the angels of God worship him | | 9. | Messiah: No. 36 Air bass: Thou art gone up on high | | 10. | Messiah: No. 37 Chorus: The Lord gave the word | | 11. | Messiah: No. 38 Duet soprano & alto, chorus: How beatiful are the feet... Break forth into joy | | 12. | Messiah: No. 39 Arioso tenor: Their sound is gone out | | 13. | Messiah: Nos. 40 - 41 Air bass & Chorus: Why do the nations so furiously rage together... Let us break their bonds | | 14. | Messiah: Nos. 42 - 43 Recitative & Air tenor: He that dwelleth in heaven... Thou shalt break them | | 15. | Messiah: No. 44 Chorus: Hallelujah | | 16. | Messiah: No. 45 Air soprano: I Know that my Redeemer liveth | | 17. | Messiah: No. 46 Chorus: Since by man came death | | 18. | Messiah: Nos. 47 - 48 Recitative & Air bass: Behold, I tell you a mystery... The trumpet shall sound | | 19. | Messiah: No. 49 - 51 Recitative alto, Duet alto & tenor, Chorus: Then shall be brougt to pass... O Death, where is thy sting... But thanks be to God | | 20. | Messiah: No. 52 Air alto: If God be for us | | 21. | Messiah: No. 53 Chorus: Worthy is the Lamb... Amen | |
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Average Customer Review:
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108 of 110 found the following review helpful:
 Don't Miss This One!Apr 19, 2000
By essmac
"smcsls"
A first-rate recording at a cut-rate price. Excellent work from the chorus- well-blended and clean, but not antiseptic and dull. Likewise excellent work from the soloists: especially Ms. Ameling. She takes the more relaxed 6/8 version of Rejoice Greatly-- so it's not flashy, but she has no problem with the coloratura and spins out some amazingly long-breathed phrases. THe real draw for me is "Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart" and "Behold and See". While remaining within the boundaries of appropriate performance style and good taste, Ms. Ameling delivers these two forgotten parts of Messiah with an emotional appeal that is absolutely devastating: wrenching, moving, full of anguish and disbelief, but with economy, sensitivity, restraint and always with beautiful tone. It's absolutely unforgettable and it blasts the dust right off of Messiah: a work that is so often given a careless, pedestrian performance. Completely stunning- it will make you care about Messiah again.
95 of 99 found the following review helpful:
 Beautiful, but not what I was expecting.Feb 21, 2001
The singers in this recording deliver beautiful performances, both the soloists and the chorus - good phrasing, diction, and ensemble singing in lovely voices. However, I didn't realize before buying this CD that, as the liner notes say, "Neville Mariner's recording is based on the first London performance of 1743, and several numbers are markedly different from the more familiar later versions." Some pieces are sung by different voice parts, and others include bars of music that Handel cut or changed later. For example, the most disappointing part for me was "But who may abide," (sung by bass instead of alto, though that's not unusual) which completely omits the excicting prestissimo "refiner's fire" section that most of us are used to (and which I really enjoy)! This would certainly be an excellent historical recording for someone who collects or studies Handel's music - beautifully performed (though some parts seem unusually fast), and interesting for studying the development of Handel's composition - and it is still his sacred masterpiece. Plus it's an excellent bargain for a top-quality 2-disc recording. However, if you're looking for the most FAMILIAR Messiah, perhaps this isn't the one for you. I opted for the excellent Chaconne (Chandos) recording by Richard Hickox instead, also with Philip Langridge, and my favorite Bryn Terfel.
50 of 51 found the following review helpful:
Probably the Finest Messiah RecordingNov 17, 2005
By Gregg M. Howell
First of all, what the other online reviewers here fail to realize is that this is Handel's 1743 Covent Garden premiere Messiah score , NOT the "final" version. So, those looking for the familiar choruses, solos, etc. will be very disappointed and should probably seek another recording.
Though much of the score is the same, much of the score is very different as this was "a work in progress." One can tell the differences beginning with the tenor aria "Ev'ry Valley," until the final chorus "Worthy is the Lamb." One may even wonder why Handel choose to alleviate some of the score (most notably "How Beautiful Are the Feet" which here is a duet between alto and soprano with a rousing chorus. The aria in it's present version is quite dull in comparison). However, Handel scored based on available forces, and it is documented that Handel continued to "tweak" the score until he died.
Tempos are brisk, as well they should be. Messiah was nearly destroyed by the late-romantic conductors that thought it would sound better with a full symphonic orchestra and choruses "of a thousand." What remains is a wall of noise with all the nuances destroyed. We are, after all, talking about Baroque music. This ASMF 1976 recording began the revival of period tempos, ensembles, and the return of vocal ornamentation.
The orchestra is in its usual flawless form in this recording as is Lazlo Heltay's fine singers. The solosits do a fine job, though Ameling, at times, has some strange vowel sounds (she obviously was not yet skilled at singing in English). Howell is the strongest of the soloists.
For overall beauty of sound and dramatic intensity, this is the ultimate recording!
26 of 26 found the following review helpful:
LONDON VERSION OF 1743 (Early score)Feb 13, 2006
By Marcolorenzo
This is not your usual Messaih. It is the first London version of 1743. Therefore several numbers are markedly different from the more familiar versions usually performed today and almost incised upon our memories and minds. There are cuts, additions and scorings for different voices. The Bass air no. 6 lacks the alto section. The usual duet no. 20 for Alto and Soprano, ( He shall feed his flock) is here only as an Alto aria, etc. There are many other variations and cuts and additions with respect to the usual presently performed versions. For my tastes the Christie recording (on Harmonia Mundi) is the definitive version (for the soloists)(on period instruments), along with the Parrott/ Taverner choir version on Virgin (for the overall well-balanced and extremely refined interpretation), as well as the Hogwood version (on l'Oiseau Lyre). I would recommended this recording if you are interested in this early version.
35 of 37 found the following review helpful:
My One and Only MessiahMar 08, 2005
By Edwin J. Firmage
Don't even look at another recording. This is the one to get. Everything about it is good, and most of it is superb. Where most Messiahs are performed at a funereal pace and have the kinetic energy of cold molasses, this one will blow your hair back. Neville Marriner and the ASMF are superb as always. But the highlights of this recording are Langridge and Howell, the tenor and baritone, respectively. Langridge delivers a beautiful, lyric performance that compares favorably to the best of better known tenors. But Howell is beyond description. I first heard and fell in love with this recording (then in LP) as a teenager, and it was Howell's singing that captivated me. Still does more than two decades later. I add this caution, however. Once you experience this musical revelation, you'll have a hard time hearing any other Messiah without wincing.
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