RECORDINGS

LABEL: ABC CLASSICS
CATALOG NUMBER: 472 601-2
UPC NUMBER: 028947663430
NUMBER OF DISCS: 3 (2 CD + 1 DVD)
RUNNING TIME: 141:12
YEAR RECORDED: 2002
CD RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 29, 2008
CONDUCTOR: ANTONY WALKER
ORCHESTRA: ORCHESTRA OF THE ANTIPODES
CHOIR: CANTILLATION
SOPRANO: SARA MACLIVER
MEZZO-SOPRANO: ALEXANDRA SHERMAN
COUNTERTENOR: CHRISTOPHER FIELD
TENOR: PAUL MCMAHON
BASS: TEDDY TAHU RHODES

AUDIO SAMPLES HIGHLIGHTS OTHER RELEASES

DISC ONE

Part the First

   1. No. 1 Sinfony
   2. No. 2 Accompanied Recitative (Tenor): Comfort ye
   3. No. 3 Air (Tenor): Ev'ry valley
   4. No. 4 Chorus: And the glory of the Lord
   5. No. 5 Accompanied Recitative (Bass): Thus saith the Lord
   6. No. 6 Air (Countertenor): But who may abide
   7. No. 7 Chorus: And He shall purify
   8. No. 8 Recitative (Alto): Behold, a virgin shall conceive
   9. No. 9 Air (Alto)& Chorus: O thou that tellest
  10. No. 10 Accompanied Recitative (Bass): For behold, darkness
  11. No. 11 Air (Bass): The people that walked in darkness
  12. No. 12 Chorus: For unto us a child is born
  13. No. 13 Pifa
  14. No. 14 (a) Recitative (Soprano): There were shepherds
  15. No. 14 (b) Accompanied Recitative (Soprano): And lo, the angel of the Lord
  16. No. 15 Recitative (Soprano): And the angel said unto them
  17. No. 16 Accompanied Recitative (Soprano): And suddenly there was with the angel
  18. No. 17 Chorus: Glory to God
  19. No. 18 Air (Soprano): Rejoice greatly
  20. No. 19 Recitative (Alto): Then shall the eyes of the blind
  21. No. 20 Duet (Alto, Soprano): He shall feed His flock
  22. No. 21 Chorus: His yoke is easy

Part the Second

  23. No. 22 Chorus: Behold the Lamb of God
  24. No. 23 Air (Alto): He was despised
DISC TWO

   1. No. 24 Chorus: Surely He hath borne our griefs
   2. No. 25 Chorus: And with His stripes
   3. No. 26 Chorus: All we, like sheep
   4. No. 27 Accompanied Recitative (Tenor): All they that see Him
   5. No. 28 Chorus: He trusted in God
   6. No. 29 Accompanied Recitative (Tenor): Thy rebuke hath broken His heart
   7. No. 30 Air (Tenor): Behold, and see
   8. No. 31 Accompanied Recitative (Tenor): He was cut off
   9. No. 32 Air (Soprano): But Thou didst not leave
  10. No. 33 Chorus: Lift up your heads
  11. No. 34 Recitative (Tenor): Unto which of the angels
  12. No. 35 Chorus: Let all the angels
  13. No. 36 Air (Countertenor): Thou art gone up on high
  14. No. 37 Chorus: The Lord gave the word
  15. No. 38 Air (Soprano): How beautiful are the feet
  16. No. 39 Chorus: Their sound is gone out
  17. No. 40 Air (Bass): Why do the nations
  18. No. 41 Chorus: Let us break their bonds asunder
  19. No. 42 Recitative (Tenor): He that dwelleth in heaven
  20. No. 43 Air (Tenor): Thou shalt break them
  21. No. 44 Chorus: Hallelujah!

Part the Third

  22. No. 45 Air (Soprano): I know that my Redeemer liveth
  23. No. 46 Chorus: Since by man came death
  24. No. 47 Accompanied Recitative (Bass): Behold, I tell you a mystery
  25. No. 48 Air (Bass): The trumpet shall sound
  26. No. 49 Recitative (Countertenor): Then shall be brought to pass
  27. No. 50 Duet (Countertenor, Tenor): O death, where is thy sting?
  28. No. 51 Chorus: But thanks be to God
  29. No. 52 Air (Alto): If God be for us
  30. No. 53 Chorus: Worthy is the Lamb
  31. No. 54 Chorus: Amen
SITE RATING:  8/10
SITE REVIEW:  ABC (Australia's Public Broadcasting service) put together this 2002 Messiah with their stable of "in-house" artists, with all of the pomp and celebration of a grand event, and indeed Antony Walker's Messiah feels very upper-crust, with occasionally sharp, then stately tempos, first-class talent both in soloists and assembled forces, and lovely, burnished recorded sound.  Tenor Paul Mcmahon has a splendid tone, and is free, but not excessive with his ornamentation; Bass Tenny Tahu Rhodes is electrifying and has a dynamic tessitura; counter-tenor Christopher Field sings with grace and a lovely tone; alto Alexandra Sherman has a dark, creamy tone; and soprano Sara Macliver possesses a bright, clear tessitura that is marvelous.  Walker's tempos tend to push, but the Cantillation Choir and Orchestra of the Antipodes play with great style and finesse, and the only fault I can find is a common one in a project such as this: it contains the feeling of more style than substance; more effort is given to the musical portion than the text, and the occasional sense that the players are all somewhat pleased with themselves at the performance they're giving.  But for sound and sheer technique, this is a first-rate recording, well worth owning.  The accompanying DVD is a generous 90-minute edit, shot at the historic St Patrick's Estate, and was probably made for ABC television.  It contains much, but not all, of the oratorio in fine video and Dolby sound.

The Compleat Messiah All Content Copyright © 2017 Bret D. Wheadon
All Rights Reserved.