SITE RATING: 8/10
SITE
REVIEW: The Gardiner
recording, from 1982, is impressive for
the technical prowess of all the performers,
but there are a couple of nagging points for
me that keeps this set from becoming my
favorite. The foremost is the coldness of
the performance - although it is technically
perfect - the tempos, soloists, orchestra
and chorus are all textbook examples of how
clean and precise Messiah can sound; yet
under Gardiner's direction there is no
passion, substance, or meaning afforded to
the text. Handel was not necessarily a
devoutly religious man, although reputed to
be a committed Lutheran, but he *was* an
experienced theatrical composer, and the
Messiah was arguably meant to be sung with
drama - yet the conductor here chooses to
avoid emotional readings of the text,
instead opting for clean diction, precise
pitches, mild dynamic changes, and fluid,
stately tempos. Gardiner here serves the
music with a sure master's hand, but in so
doing, he slights the message of the text
which is equally important. While the
performance was beautiful to listen to, it
made little emotional connection with me.
And for me, music (and Messiah in
particular) has the power to uplift the
soul.
My other small quibble is the vocal quality
of Charles Brett, the counter-tenor, whose
tone is oddly dissimilar to the rest of the
performance. It's lovely and precisely
performed, but I found myself pulled out of
the performance, and concentrating on his
distinctive tonal quality, rather than the
text or the music.
On the plus side however, is the gorgeous
blend of the choir and orchestra, the
wonderful, surprising use of a treble on
"And Lo, There Were Shepherds", the
commanding unity of the conductor and his
forces, and the still impressive sonic
presence of the recording, even after
twenty-plus years. Overall, I recommend this
recording for it's stellar qualities, even
if I am left with the impression that
despite the messianic message of the text,
nobody here really believes what they are
singing. ~ BDW
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