SITE RATING: 8/10
SITE
REVIEW: With so many Messiah
recordings being produced each year, it now
appears as if you much have a special conceit
in order to differentiate new ones from the
pack - the particular conceit for this
recording is that it aims to recreate, as
closely as possible, the very first
performance version of Messiah,
which took place in Dublin, Ireland, in 1742.
Naturally, that means that they use
small forces, period instruments, and
something resembling the original manuscript.
Of course, if they REALLY wanted to be
authentic, they would have recorded this IN
Dublin, instead of Edinburgh, Scotland - but
no matter, for its purposes, it succeeds very
well, with The Dunedin Consort & Players
performing with great finesse and heart, and
the soloists equally matched in terms of
expression and technique. Director John
Butt eschews the fiery tempos usually
associated with these kind of revival
performances, instead opting for more
moderate, but never slow, tempi which dances
and moves gracefully from one song to the next
with little to jar the listener. The
small forces naturally cannot generate
the kind of power that some listeners might
wish for the larger choruses, but at the same
time, everything is finely recorded, with this
being perhaps the most understandable choir
I've heard on a Messiah. Conversely,
that means that this recording rarely stands
out - and placed on its own merits, it stacks
up as another fine, distinguished Messiah
that is easily recommendable.
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