RECORDINGS

LABEL: TELDEC DAS ALTE WERK
CATALOG NUMBER: 77615
UPC NUMBER: 090317761527
NUMBER OF DISCS: 2
RUNNING TIME: 146:52
YEAR RECORDED: 1982
CD RELEASE DATE: MARCH 9, 1993
CONDUCTOR: NICHOLAS HARNONCOURT
ORCHESTRA: CONCENTUS MUSICUS WIEN
CHOIR: STOCKHOLM KAMMERKOREN
SOPRANO: ELIZABETH GALE
CONTRALTO: MARJANA  LIPOVSEK
TENOR: WERNER HOLLWEG
BASS: RODERICK KENNEDY


AUDIO SAMPLES HIGHLIGHTS OTHER RELEASES

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DISC ONE

1. Pt. 1: Symphony
2. Pt. 1: Accompagnato (Tenor): "Comfort Ye" - Werner Hollweg
3. Pt. 1: Aria (Tenor): "Ev'ry Valley" - Werner Hollweg
4. Pt. 1: Chorus: "And the Glory of God" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
5. Pt. 1: Accompagnato (Bass): "Thus Said the Lord" - Roderick Kennedy
6. Pt. 1: Aria (Alto): "But Who May Abide" - Marjana Lipovsek
7. Pt. 1: Chorus: "And He Shall Purify" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
8. Pt. 1: Recitative (Alto): "Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive" - Marjana Lipovsek
9. Pt. 1: Aria (Alto) And Chorus: "O Thou That Tellest Good ..." - Marjana Lipovsek
10. Pt. 1: Accompagnato (Bass): "For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover - Roderick Kennedy
11. Pt. 1: Aria (Bass): "The People That Walked in Darkness" - Roderick Kennedy
12. Pt. 1: Chorus: "For Unto Us a Child Is Born" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
13. Pt. 1: Pifa
14. Pt. 1: Recitative (Soprano): "There Were Shepherds" - Elizabeth Gale
15. Pt. 1: Accompagnato (Soprano): "And lo, The Angel of the Lord" - Elizabeth Gale
16. Pt. 1: Recitative (Soprano): "And the Angel Said Unto Them" - Elizabeth Gale
17. Pt. 1: Accompagnato (Soprano): "And Suddenly There Was ..." - Elizabeth Gale
18. Pt. 1: Chorus: "Glory to God - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
19. Pt. 1: Aria (Soprano): "Rejoice Greatly" - Elizabeth Gale
20. Pt. 1: Recitative (Alto): "Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind" - Marjana Lipovsek,    
21. Pt. 1: Duet (Alto/Soprano): "He Shall Feed His Flock" - Elizabeth Gale, Marjana Lipovsek
22. Pt. 1: Chorus: "His Yoke Is Easy" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
23. Pt. 2: Chorus: "Behold the Lamb of God" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
24. Pt. 2: Aria (Alto): "He Was Despised" - Marjana Lipovsek

DISC TWO

1. Pt. 2: Chorus: "Surely, He Hath Borne Our Griefs" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
2. Pt. 2: Chorus: "And With His Stripes" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
3. Pt. 2: Chorus: "All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
4. Pt. 2: Accompagnato (Tenor): "All They That See Him" - Werner Hollweg
5. Pt. 2: Chorus: "He Trusted in God" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
6. Pt. 2: Accompagnato (Soprano): "Thy Rebuke Hath Broken ..." - Elizabeth Gale
7. Pt. 2: Arioso (Soprano): "Behold, And See" - Elizabeth Gale
8. Pt. 2: Accompagnato (Tenor): "He Was Cut Off" - Werner Hollweg
9. Pt. 2: Aria (Tenor): "But Thou Didst Not Leave" - Werner Hollweg
10. Pt. 2: Chorus: "Lift Up Your Heads" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
11. Pt. 2: Recitative (Tenor): "Unto Which of the Angels" - Werner Hollweg    
12. Pt. 2: Chorus: "Let All the Angels of God" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
13. Pt. 2: Aria (Alto): "Thou Art Gone Up on High" - Marjana Lipovsek
14. Pt. 2: Chorus: "The Lord Gave the Word" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
15. Pt. 2: Aria (Soprano): "How Beautiful Are the Feet of Them" - Elizabeth Gale
16. Pt. 2: Chorus: "Their Sound Is Gone Out - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
17. Pt. 2: Aria (Bass): "Why Do the Nations" - Roderick Kennedy
18. Pt. 2: Chorus: "Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
19. Pt. 2: Recitative (Tenor): "He That Dwelleth in Heaven" - Werner Hollweg    
20. Pt. 2: Aria (Tenor): "Thou Shalt Break Them" - Werner Hollweg
21. Pt. 2: Chorus: "Hallelujah - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
22. Pt. 3: Aria (Soprano): "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth - Elizabeth Gale
23. Pt. 3: Chorus: Since by Man Came Death - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
24. Pt. 3: Accompagnato (Bass): "Behold, I Tell You a Mystery" - Roderick Kennedy    
25. Pt. 3: Aria (Bass): "The Trumpet Shall Sound" - Roderick Kennedy    
26. Pt. 3: Recitative (Alto): "Then Shall Be Brought to Pass" - Marjana Lipovsek
27. Pt. 3: Duet (Alto/Tenor): "O Death, Where Is Thy Sting" - Werner Hollweg, Marjana Lipovsek
28. Pt. 3: Chorus: "But Thanks Be to God" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek
29. Pt. 3: Aria (Soprano): "If God Be for Us" - Elizabeth Gale
30. Pt. 3: Chorus: "Worthy Is the Lamb" - Elizabeth Gale, Werner Hollweg, Roderick Kennedy, Marjana Lipovsek


SITE RATING:  5/10
SITE REVIEW:  Nicholas Harnoncourt's Messiah suffers from generally slow, stately tempos, soloists who sound swallowed and unequal to the technical needs of the piece (especially the bass and alto, whose vibratos occasionally overpower) and the soloists and chorus' heavy Swiss accents, which occasionally detract from the English libretto. Performed adequately on period instruments, the entire oratorio seems altogether too languid and detached in the interpretation, and the fault lies entirely with Harnoncourt, who avoids any semblance of joy or rejoicing in this most joyous of oratorios. The recording balance is not terribly clear either, but since this recording was made in 1982, and is from a live concert, there is some muddiness in the mixing, and occasional audience noise present. Not recommended. ~ BDW


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