VIDEO |
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LABEL: |
KULTUR |
CATALOG
NUMBER: |
1327 |
UPC
NUMBER: |
N/A |
NUMBER OF TAPES: |
1 |
RUNNING TIME: |
113
MIN. |
YEAR
RECORDED: |
1982 |
RELEASE
DATE: |
OCTOBER
23, 1992 |
ASPECT
RATIO: |
1.33:1 |
AUDIO: |
DOLBY
STEREO |
REGION: |
NTSC |
CONDUCTOR: |
ROGER
NORRINGTON |
ORCHESTRA: |
LONDON
BAROQUE PLAYERS |
CHOIR: |
CARDIFF
POLYPHONIC CHOIR |
SOPRANO: |
NORMA
BURROWES |
ALTO: |
HELEN
WATTS |
TENOR: |
ROBERT
TEAR |
BASS: |
WILLIARD
WHITE |
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VIDEO SAMPLES |
OTHER
RELEASES |
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SITE RATING: 8/10
SITE
REVIEW: A pity that
this performance has not been made available
on DVD, since it's easily one of the most
polished, professional Messiah's
on video. Added to that, Roger
Norrington is not represented on CD with any Messiah;
it's his expertise that drives this
performance - and its worth hearing. The
London Baroque Players, using period
instruments, are generally superb, although
the trumpeter makes several embarrassing flubs
during "The Trumpet Shall Sound", and the
Cardiff Polyphonic Choir, although placed
somewhat distantly in the mix, sing with equal
finesse. Also, the chance to see
Williard White, who I had only seen before in
his celebrated turn in George Gershwin's opera
Porgy
&
Bess,
is riveting. This captures him ten years
earlier, and he sings (and sweats) up a storm.
The other soloists are equally fine:
Norma Burrowes is a clear, bright soprano,
only occasionally going slightly flat; Helen
Watts is a lovely, otherwordly presence in her
alto solos, and tenor Robert Tear is fiery and
confident in his arias. The only true downside
to this video is the setting, which has the
unfortunate look of being set on what looks
like a stage borrowed from Lawrence Welk's
long-running television program, with
chandeliers, cherubic lamps, and a hideous
color scheme that features a powdery sky blue
set clashing with the salmon pink of the
ladies' choir dresses. (Note, the cover
photograph is NOT from this performance (?);
the choir is much smaller, and the outfits are
different!) Why Kultur chooses to keep
this performance in the vault is a shame,
since it's an overall fine performance, worthy
of remastering and general release.
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