SITE RATING: 8/10
SITE
REVIEW: Another solid Messiah,
this one with an operatic flair, thanks to
it's conductor, Sir Georg Solti, and its
stars, all of whom hail from the vaulted
halls of international opera.
Thankfully, Sir Solti doesn't direct
Handel as if it were the second coming of
Verdi, or Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen -
rather, he lets the music dance, in a very
baroque manner, even if the instrumentation
is modern. Much like Neville
Marriner's 1976 Messiah, this recording
benefited from the sure touch of a master's
hand, even if, as in Solti's case, the
baroque era wasn't his forte. That
said, a great deal on how listeners enjoy
this Messiah
depends on how well you tolerate operatic
singing - baroque revivalist interpretations
tend to prefer clear, bell-like tones from
their sopranos and tenors, but Dame te
Kanawa and Keith Lewis are from the other
side of the playground, giving
gorgeously-hued, full-throated tessaturas
and vocal colors that veer far from current
recordings, but will be familiar to older
audiences who grew up listening to Messiah on long-playing
records. One stickler for me about
this disc, (and it's a nagging one) is that
the arias and choruses are tied together
without any breaks between them, meaning
that in order to hear a favorite chorus, you
often have to listen to the preceding aria
as well - which is completely unnecessary
in the digital age. But, if you're
looking for a first choice for a Messiah,
Solti isn't a bad choice; the playing is
sure and passionate, the singing is expert,
if a little over-the-top, and the early
digital sound is surprisingly warm and full. ~ BDW
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