| RECORDINGS |
|
| LABEL: |
ARGO |
| CATALOG
NUMBER: |
440
672-2 |
| UPC
NUMBER: |
028944067224 |
| NUMBER OF DISCS: |
2 |
| RUNNING TIME: |
64:40,
69:37 |
| YEAR
RECORDED: |
1993 |
| CD
RELEASE
DATE: |
OCTOBER
11,
1994 |
| CONDUCTOR: |
STEPHEN
CLEOBURY |
| ORCHESTRA: |
BRANDENBURG
CONSORT |
| CHOIR: |
THE
CHOIR
OF KING'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE |
| SOPRANO: |
LYNNE
DAWSON |
| CONTRALTO: |
HILLARY
SUMMERS |
| TENOR: |
JOHN
MARK
AINSLEY |
| BASS: |
ALASTAIR
MILES |
|
| AUDIO SAMPLES |
HIGHLIGHTS |
OTHER
RELEASES |
|
|
 
|
|
DISC ONE
1. Symphony - the Brandenburg Consort
2. 1. Accompagnato: Comfort Ye, My
People - John Mark Ainsley
3. 2. Air: Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted
- John Mark Ainsley
4. 3. Chorus: And the Glory of the Lord
- the Choir of King's College, Cambridge
5. 4. Accompagnato: Thus Saith the Lord
- Alastair Miles
6. 5. Air: But Who May Abide the Day of
His Coming - Hilary Summers
7. 6. Chorus: And He Shall Purify the
Sons of Levi - the Choir of King's
College, Cambridge
8. 7. Recitative: Behold, a Virgin Shall
Conceive - Hilary Summers
9. 8. O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings
to Zion - Hilary Summers
10. Chorus: O Thou That Tellest Good
Tidings to Zion - the Choir of King's
College
11. 10. Accompagnato: For Behold,
Darkness Shall Cover - Alastair Miles
12. 11. Air: The People That Walked in
Darkness - Alastair Miles
13. 12. Chorus: For Unto Us a Child Is
Born - the Choir of King's College
14. 13. Pifa (Pastoral Symphony) - the
Brandenburg Consort
15. 14. Recitative: There Were Shepherds
- Accompagnato: And Lo, the Angel of the
Lord - Recitative: And the Angel Said
Unto Them - Accompagnato: And Suddenly -
Lynne Dawson
16. 15. Chorus: Glory to God in the
Highest - the Choir of King's College,
Cambridge
17. 16. Air: Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter
of Zion - Lynne Dawson
18. 17A. Recitative: Then Shall the Eyes
of the Blind - Lynne Dawson
19. 18A. Duet: He Shall Feed His Flock -
Lynne Dawson
20. 19. Chorus: His Yoke Is Easy - the
Choir of King's College, Cambridge
21. 20. Chorus: Behold the Lamb of God -
the Choir of King's College, Cambridge
22. 21. Air: He Was Despised - Hilary
Summers
23. 22. Chorus: Surely He Hath Borne Our
Griefs - the Choir of King's College,
Cambridge
24. 23. Chorus: And with His Stripes We
Are Healed - the Choir of King's
College, Cambridge
25. 24. Chorus: All We Like Sheep Have
Gone Astray - the Choir of King's
College, Cambridge
|
DISC TWO
1. 25. Accompagnato: All They That See
Him - John Mark Ainsley
2. 26. Chorus: He Trusted in God - the
Choir of King's College, Cambridge
3. 27. Recit - Thy Rebuke Hath Broken
His Heart - John Mark Ainsley
4. 28. Arioso: Behold and See - John
Mark Ainsley
5. 29. Accompagnato: He Was Cut Off -
Lynne Dawson
6. 30. Aria: But Thou Didst Not Leave -
Lynne Dawson
7. 31. Chorus: Lift Up Your Heads - the
Choir of King's College, Cambridge
8. 32. Recitative: Unto Which of the
Angels - John Mark Ainsley
9. 33. Chorus: Let All the Angels of God
- the Choir of King's College, Cambridge
10. 34A. Air: Thou Art Gone Up on High -
Hilary Summers
11. 35. Chorus: The Lord Gave the Word -
the Choir of King's College, Cambridge
12. 36. Air: How Beautiful Are the Feet
- Lynne Dawson
13. 37A. Chorus: Their Sound Is Gone Out
- the Choir of King's College
14. 38. Air: Why Do the Nations -
Alastair Miles
15. 39. Chorus: Let Us Break Their Bonds
Asunder - the Choir of King's College,
Cambridge
16. 40. Recitative: He That
Dwelleth in Heaven - John Mark Ainsley
17. 41. Air: Thou Shalt Break Them -
John Mark Ainsley
18. 42. Chorus: Hallelujah - the Choir
of King's College, Cambridge
19. 43. Air: I Know That My Redeemer
Liveth - Lynne Dawson
20. 44. Chorus: Since By Man Came Death
- the Choir of King's College
21. 45. Accompagnato: Behold, I Tell You
a Mystery - Alastair Miles
22. 46. Air: The Trumpet Shall Sound -
Alastair Miles
23. 47. Recitative: Then Shall Be
Brought to Pass - Hilary Summers
24. 48. Duet: O Death Where Is Thy
Sting? - Hilary Summers, John Mark
Ainsley
25. 49. Chorus: But Thanks Be
to God - the Choir of King's College,
Cambridge
26. 50. Air: If God Be for Us - Lynne
Dawson
27. 51. Worthy Is the Lamb - Blessing
and Honour - - the Choir of King's
College, Cambridge
28. Amen - the Choir of King's College,
Cambridge
|
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SITE RATING: 9/10
SITE
REVIEW: I must confess that for many
years I was entirely mistaken about this
specific recording. I had lumped it
together with a "live"
performance of Messiah with the same
forces (i.e., Cleobury, The King's
College Cambridge Choir, the Brandenberg
Consort, Dawson, Summers, Ainsley &
Miles) which has been the basis for several
releases on different labels. But this
recording, which came some months earlier,
was recorded at the King's College chapel,
and is a completely separate one than the
later, Pieterskerk, Leiden performance of
1993. In fact, I imagine that the
filmed performance was a celebratory lap for
this recording, as it duplicates the same
finely-tuned performances captured just
months earlier, with the soloists, Consort,
and Choir each at their sterling best.
John Mark Ainsley is simply pristine in his
solos, while the Brandenberg Consort and
King's College Choir can only be faulted for
sounding TOO perfect and proper, reveling in
their immaculate blend and unity - the
trebles of King's College are world class,
and Cleobury polishes their performance to
glass-like transparency. Alastair
Miles is tremendous - sounding absolutely
authoritative on his solos, and quite
frankly, unequaled among other Messiah
basses. Hillary Summers is perhaps a
touch too hollow sounding, she seems to be
channeling the tone of a counter-tenor,
lacking a natural alto warmth and
richness. Lynne Dawson brings a
shiny brilliance to her solos, reveling in
the melismas and sounding effortless in her
mastery of the role. It's hard to find
fault in such a carefully crafted and
expertly performed Messiah; Cleobury's
tempos are all very carefully controlled,
and occasionally too slow, but if you desire
to hear an absolutely astounding performance
of Messiah, this one certainly impresses on
many levels.
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