RECORDINGS

LABEL: TAFELMUSIK MEDIA
CATALOG NUMBER: TMK1016CD2
UPC NUMBER: 8 80513 10162 9
NUMBER OF DISCS: 2
RUNNING TIME: 141:33
YEAR RECORDED: 2011
CD RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 30, 2012
CONDUCTOR: IVARS TAURINS
ORCHESTRA: TAFELMUSIK BAROQUE ORCHESTRA
CHOIR: TAFELMUSIK CHAMBER CHOIR
SOPRANO: KARINA GAUVIN
COUNTERTENOR: ROBIN BLAZE
TENOR: RUFUS MάLLER
BASS: BRETT POLEGATO

AUDIO SAMPLES HIGHLIGHTS OTHER RELEASES




NONE
DISC ONE

[1] Sinfony 03‘14
[2] Tenor Accompagnato: Comfort ye, my people 02‘50
[3] Tenor Air: Ev’ry valley shall be exalted 03‘25
[4] Chorus: And the glory of the Lord 02‘37
[5] Bass Accompagnato: Thus saith the Lord 01‘23
[6] Alto Air: But who may abide the day of His coming 04‘18
[7] Chorus: And He shall purify the sons of Levi 02‘29
[8] Alto Recitative: Behold, a virgin shall conceive
Alto Air & Chorus: O thou that tellest good tidings
to Zion 05‘29
[9] Bass Accompagnato: For behold, darkness shall cover the
earth 01‘56
[10] Bass Air: The people that walked in darkness 04‘15
[11] Chorus: For unto us a Child is born 03‘58
[12] Pifa
Soprano Recitative/Accompagnato:
There were shepherds 02‘21
[13] Chorus: Glory to God in the highest 01‘53
[14] Soprano Air: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion 04‘32
[15] Alto Recitative: Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened
Alto/Soprano Duet: He shall feed His flock
like a shepherd 05‘50
[16] Chorus: His yoke is easy 02‘30
Part the Second · Deuxiθme partie · Zweiter Teil
[17] Chorus: Behold the Lamb of God 02‘44
[18] Alto Air: He was despised
 DISC TWO

[1] Chorus: Surely He hath borne our griefs 02’05
[2] Chorus: And with His stripes we are healed 01’51
[3] Chorus: All we like sheep have gone astray 03‘54
[4] Tenor Accompagnato: All they that see Him
laugh Him to scorn 00‘45
[5] Chorus: He trusted in God 02‘18
[6] Tenor Accompagnato: Thy rebuke hath broken
His heart 01‘43
[7] Tenor Arioso: Behold, and see 01‘45
[8] Soprano Accompagnato: He was cut off 00‘15
[9] Soprano Air: But Thou didst not leave
His soul in hell 02‘13
[10] Chorus: Lift up your heads 03‘04
[11] Tenor Recitative: Unto which of the angels
Chorus: Let all the angels 01‘32
[12] Alto Air: Thou art gone up on high 03‘04
[13] Chorus: The Lord gave the word 01‘09
[14] Soprano Air: How beautiful are the feet 02‘37
[15] Chorus: Their sound is gone out 01‘14
[16] Bass Air: Why do the nations 01‘16
[17] Chorus: Let us break their bonds asunder 01‘54
[18] Tenor Recitative: He that dwelleth in heaven
Tenor Air: Thou shalt break them 02‘09
[19] Chorus: Hallelujah 04‘02
Part the Third · Troisiθme partie · Dritter Teil
[20] Soprano Air: I know that my Redeemer liveth 06‘33
[21] Chorus: Since by man came death 02‘06
[22] Bass Accompagnato: Behold, I tell you
a mystery 00‘33
[23] Bass Air: The trumpet shall sound 08‘47
[24] Alto Recitative: Then shall be brought to pass
Alto/Tenor Duet: O death, where is thy sting? 01‘30
[25] Chorus: But thanks be to God 02‘42
[26] Soprano Air: If God be for us 05‘02
[27] Chorus: Worthy is the Lamb 03‘43
[28] Chorus: Amen 04‘40
SITE RATING:  7/10
SITE REVIEW:  I'm a little conflicted over Ivars Taurins lately; I was greatly impressed with his vibrant 1998 Messiah "highlights" recording, but much less so with his 2010 "sing-along" Messiah DVD, which I found superfluous and somewhat condescending. Well, now he's given us a full Messiah recording on CD, and how does it stack up against his previous efforts? Sound and performance-wise, this is an excellent recording, with balance and tone consistently high.  The Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir are both splendid, with precise performances expertly balanced and cleanly played and sung.  Of the soloists, only tenor Rufus Mόller is retained from the 2010 performances, but they are all quite good; with countertenor Robin Blaze particularly noteworthy for his compassionate reading and rich, but not dark, tone.  Tenor Rufus Mόller is a bit throaty in his arias, but has a fine tone, bass Brett Polegato lacks the commanding presence on disc that his part demands, sounding apologetic instead of forceful; and soprano Karina Gauvin is simply too fluttery with her vibrato and too emotionally removed from the meaning of the text, coming off as showy, rather than heartfelt.  The tempos which Ivars Taurins has chosen throughout feel far too safe and held back for my tastes, as if everyone is on their best behavior, or on a tight leash, making this Messiah feel restrained and cautious, even on the most joyous choruses.  Comparing Taurins's two recordings reveal that the previous "highlights" disc was more adventurous, and more celebratory, than this current endeavor - a shame, since this Messiah had the talent and potential to be so much more.

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