Search - George Frederick Handel, Adrian Boult, George Malcolm :: Handel: Messiah - Arias & Choruses

A signature Christmas album (at least for me)

R. Martinez | 12/23/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I remember this playing in the background in the house back when I was a kid. It defined Christmas for me. I've heard several versions of "The Messiah" but this one, from the London Symphony Orchestra, is the most full and robust. There seems to be no rival, in my opinion. I highly recommend this for new families. Whether you're religious or not and celebrate Christmas/the year-end holidays as a religious event or a simple but important time for a family get-together, either the lyrics and/or the sound of the music will stay with you for many Christmases to come. The stand out song is Hallelujah. Though, I'm not a complete aficionado of classical music (especially of the religious kind), this must be one of Sir Adrian Boult's finest. But I'm speaking from the LP and tape versions. I can only imagine the sound from the CD version. I highly recommend this recording.



UPDATE: Yup, this is the tape I remember. Down to the quality. I dunno about anybody else, but that's part of the charm for me. It reminds me of the tape and that reminds me of Christmases past. I love it."

Highlights from stately classic version of Messiah

klavierspiel | TX, USA | 12/11/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This recording by Sir Adrian Boult and the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus dates from the early 1960s, and seems now very much an old-school rendering of Handel's beloved masterpiece. As such it still has its pleasures, among them the skilled singing of the chorus and two major stars, Joan Sutherland and Grace Bumbry, in their youthful primes. Though there are no "added accompaniments" of the kind that used to be routine and unwelcome additions to Handel's original, lean orchestration, modern connoisseurs of Baroque music may find the choruses, particularly the famous "Hallelujah," and final "Amen," altogether too leaden in pacing and glutinous in texture. In general the performance practice is restrained, with barely an ornamented da capo to be found, and even essential vocal appoggiaturas omitted. The selection of numbers on this highlights disc is not particularly satisfying; an apparent desire to give all soloists and chorus more or less equal time results in some jarring skips in continuity and unfathomable omissions, as well as equally strange inclusions. I would have opted for hearing the chorus "Lift up your heads, O ye gates" over a complete, nine-minute "Trumpet Shall Sound," for example, since there is not one ornament in the da capo and bass David Ward is taxed by the high tessitura. Nevertheless, the overall authority of Boult's interpretation makes this venerable Messiah still worth a listen, especially at this bargain price."

THE STATELY BOULT MESSIAH

Operaman! | Chicago, IL United States | 11/28/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like many of the other reviewers here, this recording of Messiah has more of a nostalgic than musicological appeal. The three-LP London set was a family Christmas gift, and was literally played to death on the living room hi-fi. Since that time I have graduated to other performances of Messiah that are of a less ponderous sort than Sir Adrian's second recording (the first in stereo) here, using historicaly-informed instruments, tuning and practices. Still, if this performance of Messiah was encountered in live performance it would be most satisfying. Joan Sutherland's voice here was lighter (despite her trademark mushy diction) and at least she is granted some liberties with ornmanetation - she had to fight Boult to do them (she would rerecord it with husband Bonynge, and in my opinion, not as successfully). Then-mezzo Bumbry and bass Ward are sturdy soloists, and lyric tenor MacKellar is likeable. Boult's tempi are of the Beecham variety, so the entire performance is long. The original 3-CD issue is now out of print and only available used and at inflated prices. This disc of highlights will suffice for now.



I don't rate this performance at the top, but it is a good alternate. Davis' classic first Phillips recording is still my favorite, followed by performances conducted by Somary (Vanguard), Leppard (Erato, complete recording now out of print but highlights available), Solti (Decca), Shaw (Telarc), Harnoncourt (Teldec), and the Mozart arrangement conducted by Mackerras (RCA out of print, but now available as an import)."