| RECORDINGS |
|
| LABEL: |
ERATO |
| CATALOG
NUMBER: |
2564
69283-5 |
| UPC
NUMBER: |
825646928354 |
| NUMBER OF DISCS: |
2 |
| RUNNING TIME: |
78:44,
78:37 |
| YEAR
RECORDED: |
1974 |
| CD
RELEASE
DATE: |
APRIL
6,
2009 |
| CONDUCTOR: |
RAYMOND
LEPPARD |
| ORCHESTRA: |
ENGLISH
CHAMBER ORCHESTRA |
| CHOIR: |
ENGLISH
CHAMBER
CHORUS |
| SOPRANO: |
FELICITY
PALMER |
| ALTO: |
HELEN
WATTS |
| TENOR: |
RYLAND
DAVIES |
| BASS: |
JOHN
SHIRLEY-QUIRK |
|
|
| AUDIO SAMPLES |
HIGHLIGHTS |
OTHER
RELEASES |
NONE
|
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      |
|
DISC ONE
Part One
01 No. l Sinfony
(Overture) 3.11
02 No.2 Recitative: Comfort ye my people
tenor 3.36
03 No.3 Air: Ev'ry valley shall be
exalted tenor 3.37
04 No.4 Chorus: And the glory of the
Lord shall be revealed
2.39
05 No.5 Recitative: Thus saith the Lord
bass 1.37
06 No.6 Air: But who may abide the day
of his coming? alto
4.44
07 No.7 Chorus: And he shall purify the
sons of Levi 2.51
08 No.8 Recitative: Behold, a virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son
alto 0.27
09 No.9 Air: O thou that tellest good
tidings to Zion alto
3.49
10 No.9 Chorus: O thou that tellest good
tidings to Zion 1.41
11 No. 10 Recitative: For behold,
darkness shall cover the earth
bass 2.54
12 No. l l Air: The people that walked
in darkness have seen a great light
bass 4.11
13 No. 12 Chorus: For unto us a child is
born 4.17
14 No.13 Pifa (Pastoral
Symphony) 3.23
15 No.14a Recitative: There were
shepherds abiding in the field soprano
No. 14b Recitative: And lo, the angel of
the Lord came upon them soprano
No. 15 Recitative: And the angel said
unto them: Fear not soprano
No. 16 Recitative: And suddenly there
was with the angel a multitude of the
heav'nly host soprano
16 No. 17 Chorus: Glory to God in the
highest 1.54
17 No. 18 Air: Rejoice greatly, o
daughter of Zion
soprano 4.06
18 No.19 Recitative: Then shall the eyes
of the blind be opened
alto 0.26
19 No.20 Air: He shall feed his flock
like a shepherd soprano,
alto 6.04
20 No.21 Chorus: His yoke is easy
Part Two
21 No.22 Chorus: Behold the Lamb of God,
that taketh away the sin of the
world 4.05
22 No.23 Air: He was despised and
rejected of men alto
11.44
23 No.24 Chorus: Surely he hath borne
our griefs and carried our
sorrows 2.25
|
DISC TWO
01 No.25 Chorus: And with his
stripes we are healed
2.09
02 No.26 Chorus: All we like sheep have
gone astray 4.26
03 No.27 Recitative: All they that see
him laugh him to scorn
tenor 0.55
04 No.28 Chorus: He trusted in God that
he would deliver him
2.39
05 No.29 Recitative: Thy rebuke hath
broken his heart tenor
1.54
06 No.30 Air: Behold, and see if there
be any sorrow like unto his sorrow
tenor 1.53
07 No.31 Recitative: He was cut off out
of the land of the living
tenor 0.20
08 No.32 Air: But thou didst not leave
his soul in hell tenor
2.32
09 No.33 Chorus: Lift up your heads, o
ye gates 3.28
10 No.34 Recitative: Unto which of the
angels said he at any time
tenor 0.19
11 No.35 Chorus: Let all the angels of
God worship him 1.45
12 No.36 Air: Thou art gone up on high,
thou hast led captivity captive
bass 3.37
13 No.37 Chorus: The Lord gave the word:
great was the company of the
preachers 1.20
14 No.38 Air: How beautiful are the feet
of them that preach the gospel of peace
soprano 2.29
15 No.39 Air: Their sound is gone out
into all lands tenor
1.10
16 No.40 Air: Why do the nations so
furiously rage together
bass 2.40
17 No.41 Chorus: Let us break their
bonds asunder 2.12
18 No.42 Recitative: He that dwelleth in
heaven shall laugh them to scorn
tenor 0.18
19 No.43 Air: Thou shalt break them with
a rod of iron tenor
2.17
20 No.44 Chorus:
Hallelujah 4.06
Part Three
21 No.45 Air: I know that my Redeemer
liveth soprano 6.38
22 No.46 Chorus: Since by man came
death 2.19
23 No.47 Recitative: Behold, I tell you
a mystery bass 0.43
24 No.48 Air: The trumpet shall sound
bass 8.11
25 No.49 Recitative: Then shall be
brought to pass the saying that is
written alto 0.21
26 No.50 Duet: O death, where is thy
sting? alto, tenor
1.42
27 No.51 Chorus: But thanks be to God,
who giveth us the
victory 3.31
28 No.52 Air: If God be for us, who can
be against us? soprano
4.32
29 No.53 Chorus: Worthy is the Lamb that
was slain 3.51
30 [No.53 Chorus:]
Amen 4.24
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SITE RATING: 8/10
SITE
REVIEW: Raymond
Leppard's 1974 recording of Messiah
ranks nearly as highly as other great Messiahs
of the same era, such as Colin Davis's and Neville Marriner's.
Bright, light, dancing tempos, excellent
performances by the English Chamber Orchestra
and Chorus, and generally fine soloists, with
the exception of bass John Shirley-Quirk, who
seems out of step here, bringing great weight
and force to his melismas, offsetting the
otherwise baroque feel of the piece.
Alto Helen Watts brings great warmth to
her readings, while Felicity Palmer is almost
unsurpassed in her ability to bring a
wonderful drama to all her pieces, sung with
equal warmth and emotion. Tenor Ryland
Davies is technically good, but sounds young
and peacock-ish in his presentation, with a
bit of nasalness to his tone. The
recorded tone is not as brilliant as you'll
find on today's recordings, but the 2008
remastering is very good, a bit distant, but
warm and natural. A very enjoyable,
natural Messiah,
exhibiting the kind of warmth and humanity
lacking on many other recordings, and worth
seeking out.
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