SITE RATING: 8/10
SITE REVIEW:
I've read complaints that this DVD is not a
complete performance of Messiah,
and that fans of the CD release (which is complete), were expecting a
video that duplicated the track listing of the album. My
understanding of this release is that the DVD was only meant as a bonus
for purchasers of the CD package, and, unlike more recent performance
packages, the CD was the main feature, and the DVD a mere "extra".
Nowadays, of course, that thinking has been reversed, with
most
DVD/CD packages emphasizing the video portion, with it's
higher-resolution sound, being the complete performance, and the CD
portion being a "highlights' disc. If you can get around the
idea
that this DVD is not a complete performance, it can be seen as a very
enjoyable experience on its own merits. At ninety minutes,
you do
get a good chunk of section one of the Messiah,
with highlights from sections two and three, and the production values
on display are the highest I've ever seen. Part of the
benefit is
being a studio, rather than a live, performance, so everything is
perfectly controlled with regards to lighting and camera angles, giving
unparalleled clarity to the performances. And the performers
are
very good, with the soloists, choir and orchestra giving very polished
performances. I'm not a fan of Antony Walker's
choices as
far as tempos and interpretation, but nothing here is odd or esoteric,
and it's all so beautifully filmed and presented that I find myself
forgiving other issues. A gloriously filmed and polished
presentation.
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