Search - Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir & Orchestra :: Handel: Dixit Dominus

A voice teacher and early music fan

George Peabody | Planet Earth | 06/29/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"WOW! WOE! and WHOOPS!

WOW because the Monteverdi Choir opens this work 'Dixit Dominus' with much excitement and fervor and speed. In fact, the six choruses in this work are all performed with the attributes of Handel's music that a scholarly Gardiner can ascertain. My hand wanted so much to give this recording 5 stars BUT



WOE crept in with the entrance of the first soloist Charles Brett(countertenor); his voice was 'edgy', very non-legato; close to being breathy. In short, he either had a bad day or it was not his 'bag' so to speak. The tenor voice of Richard Morton was OK, but he's no Mark Padmore. The bass voice of David Johnson was quite resonant until he went into the lower register, at which time the endings did not come forth. The soprano Felicity Lott was the best of the 'lot' and performed her solos with skill and emotion.



As for the WHOOPS!. the tempos are somewhat questionable in two of the selections: 'De torrente in via bibet ' (soprano duet) dragged on and on to the point of boredom, which is so unlike Gardiner one has to wonder WHO is at fault?! In the choral selection 'Tu es sacerdos in aeternum' the tempo is so fast that many of the words were lost, but I didn't mind because I knew them, but others may find it annoying.



Did I enjoy this recording? You bet I did!!!And I'll listen to it and pass up most of the solo tracks. But I will certainly enjoy the overall aggressive excitement of a performance that only John Eliot Gardiner can provide.



However, I own another rendition that fulfills my expectations somewhat better that this one: l0 years later (1986) Stephen Cleobury recorded a disc with the King's College Choir with a superb solo line-up: sopranos Isabel Buchanan, A. Mackay- countertenor Michael Chance-tenor W. Kendall-and bass H. Herford. A great listening treat, although a totally traditional approach with an element of the romantic as opposed to the aggressive."