| RECORDINGS |
|
| LABEL: |
SIGNUM UK
|
| CATALOG
NUMBER: |
SIGCD610
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| UPC
NUMBER: |
635212061022
|
| NUMBER OF DISCS: |
2
|
| RUNNING TIME: |
134:13
|
| YEAR
RECORDED: |
2020
|
| CD
RELEASE DATE: |
APRIL 3, 2020
|
| CONDUCTOR: |
JONATHAN GRIFFITH
|
| ORCHESTRA: |
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC
ORCHESTRA
|
| CHOIR: |
THE JONATHAN GRIFFITH
SINGERS & NATIONAL YOUTH CHOIR
OF GREAT BRITAIN
|
| SOPRANO: |
PENELOPE SHUMATE
|
| MEZZO-SOPRANO: |
CLAUDIA CHAPA
|
| TENOR: |
JOHN MCVEIGH
|
| BARITONE: |
CHRISTOPHER JOB
|
|
|
| AUDIO SAMPLES |
HIGHLIGHTS |
OTHER
RELEASES |
Listen on YouTube
|
NONE
|
NONE
|
|
DISC ONE
1. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 1.
Sinfonia 3:57
2. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 2. Comfort
Ye My People 3:02
3. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 3. Every
Valley Shall Be Exalted
3:28
4. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 4. And the
Glory of the Lord 3:04
5. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 5. Thus
Saith the Lord 1:29
6. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 6. But Who
May Abide the Day of His Coming?
5:15
7. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 7. And He
Shall Purify 2:58
8. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 8. Behold,
A Virgin Shall Conceive
0:27
9. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 9. O Thou
That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion
5:50
10. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 10. For
Behold, Darkness Shall Cover the Earth
2:44
11. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 11. The
People That Walked in Darkness
4:46
12. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 12. For
Unto Us a Child Is Born
4:21
13. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 13. Pifa
("Pastoral Symphony")
3:20
14. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 14. There
Were Shepherds Abiding in the Field. And
Lo, the Angel of the Lord Came Upon Them
0:42
15. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 15. And
the Angel Said Unto Them
0:47
16. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 16. And
Suddenly There Was with the Angel
0:18
17. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 17. Glory
to God 2:15
18. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 18.
Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion
4:49
19. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 19. Then
Shall the Eyes of the Blind
0:31
20. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 20. He
Shall Feed His Flock
5:25
21. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 1, no. 21. His
Yoke Is Easy, and His Burthen Is Light
2:50
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DISC TWO
22. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 22.
Behold the Lamb of God
3:52
23. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 23. He
Was Despised 4:48
24. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 24.
Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs
2:30
25. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 25. And
with His Stripes We Are Healed
2:06
26. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 26. All
We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray
4:20
27. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 27. All
They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
0:52
28. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 28. He
Trusted In God 2:52
29. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 29. Thy
Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart
2:07
30. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 30.
Behold, and See If There Be Any Sorrow
1:25
31. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 31. He
Was Cut Off Out of the Land of the Living
0:23
32. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 32. But
Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul In Hell
2:26
33. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 33. Lift
Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates
3:49
34. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 37. The
Lord Gave the Word 1:13
35. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 38. How
Beautiful Are the Feet
2:27
36. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 39. Their
Sound Is Gone Out 1:40
37. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 40. Why
Do the Nations so Furiously Rage Together?
3:01
38. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 41. Let
Us Break Their Bonds Asunder
2:13
39. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 42. He
That Dwelleth In Heaven
0:17
40. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 43. Thou
Shalt Break Them 2:00
41. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 2, no. 44.
Hallelujah 4:29
42. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 3, no. 45. I
Know That My Redeemer Liveth
6:19
43. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 3, no. 46. Since
by Man Came Death 2:02
44. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 3, no. 47.
Behold, I Tell You A Mystery
0:39
45. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 3, no. 48. The
Trumpet Shall Sound 4:26
46. Messiah (HWV 56): Pt. 3, no. 53.
Worthy Is the Lamb That Was Slain 9:15
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SITE RATING: 3/10
SITE
REVIEW: Sir Eugene
Goossens, his personal issues aside, is long
overdue for a reassessment - in particular,
his arrangement for Handel's Messiah,
originally commissioned by Thomas Beecham for
the infamous RCA recording in 1959, is perhaps
due for a reassessment; however, it's sad to
report that this new production released by
Signum Classics is not that recording.
Sloppily performed, and thickly recorded, this
new CD doesn't improve on the original
incarnation in any aspect. Conducted by
Jonathan Griffith, with his own choir
supplemented by the National Youth Choir Of
Great Britain and the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra, makes the mistake of thinking that
richer, more thickly-orchestrated movements
call for slower, more glacial conducting, and
so everything is slowed down. This can
be enriching, as shown by the elegant
Scherchen recordings of the 1950s, but here it
feels ponderous, and weighty - as if everyone
was dragging iron chains. The soloists
are unfortunately not an asset either, with
tenor John McVeigh often pressing into a
fierce sharpness of pitch, and a wide vibrato,
which also hampers bass Christopher Job, who
wavers and wobbles throughout his arias.
Soprano Penelope Shumate is better, but also
seems to be pressing on her tone, as if she
was trying to reach the back of the hall by
sheer power, which robs her moments of
lightness and clarity. Mezzo-soprano
Claudia Chapa has an even more pronounced
vibrato, which is not pleasant on the ear - it
also veers into sharpness, with a brittle
timbre. The choir, beefed up with the
addition of the Youth Choir, sound thickly
muffled - instead of separation, it's a wall
of slurpy sound. It's an unfortunate
presentation by all involved, with an amateur
sound and deadened tempos and recorded
ambience which strips the performance of any
brilliancy. Stick with the original RCA
Goossens arrangement if you absolutely have to
have one in your library.
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