Track Listings (24) - Disc #1| All Artists: Andrew Davis, Kathleen Battle, Florence Quivar, John Aler, Samuel Ramey, Toronto Symphony Orchestra & Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Title: Handel: Messiah (Complete Oratorio); Battle, Quivar, Aler, Ramey, Davis Members Wishing: 0 Total Copies: 1 Label: EMI Classics Release Date: 10/25/1990 Genres: Special Interest, Classical Styles: Holiday & Wedding, Opera & Classical Vocal, Historical Periods, Baroque (c.1600-1750) Number of Discs: 2 SwapaCD Credits: 2 UPCs: 077774902724, 077774902755 |
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Search - Andrew Davis, Kathleen Battle, Florence Quivar :: Handel: Messiah (Complete Oratorio); Battle, Quivar, Aler, Ramey, Davis
 | Andrew Davis, Kathleen Battle, Florence Quivar Handel: Messiah (Complete Oratorio); Battle, Quivar, Aler, Ramey, Davis Genres: Special Interest, Classical
There are two English Davises, both conductors: Colin and Andrew--no relation. Colin recorded a landmark Messiah which is still available on Philips at budget price. This one is another matter entirely. Andrew Davis certai... more »     |
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Amazon.com There are two English Davises, both conductors: Colin and Andrew--no relation. Colin recorded a landmark Messiah which is still available on Philips at budget price. This one is another matter entirely. Andrew Davis certainly knows this music, and he hits the big moments with gusto. But Messiah is more than big moments, and despite an excellent cast of soloists, there's too little involvement with the music (especially from Kathleen Battle) in the arias and more intimate moments to make this a clear recommendation. It's not bad, but the competition is just that much better. --David Hurwitz Similar CDs
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CD Reviews"Their Sound is Gone Out" E. A. Lovitt | Gladwin, MI USA | 12/17/2000 (5 out of 5 stars) "I used to sing in Handel's "Messiah" every year under a succession of very good conductors, and so became familiar with the dynamics, mood, and color of the choruses and arias. I also own several recordings of "Messiah", and I'd like to say that this version with Andrew Davis conducting is by far my favorite. Each separate chorus or aria is carefully sung and colored by beautiful orchestration. When Kathleen Battle floats into her part of the duet, "He shall feed his flock", she and her music will make you believe in angels, no matter what your religious inclination. The chorus achieves that very special and disciplined baroque sound. Their dynamics are perfect and they skip tunefully through some of Handel's most fiendish choruses (I don't care how many times we sang "His Yoke Is Easy" or "All We Like Sheep" - one section, usually the sopranos, either fell behind the rest of us or mumbled the words). Lastly, I'd like to single out John Aler, the tenor, and Samuel Ramey, the bass, as performing the highlights of this recording, for me. Aler has that clear, flexible, brilliant head voice that is so essential for the Handelian repetoire. Ramey is THE perfect coloratura bass, and he proves it again on this CD. I wish I could find a recording of him in Handel's "Rinaldo"." This is the "Messiah" You Want R. W. Rasband | Heber City, UT | 08/25/2000 (5 out of 5 stars) "Forget the "original instruments" versions. You want a big, rich (but not bombastic) "Messiah." This is the version you want. It's light but not insubstantial, gorgeous but not overblown and truly majestic as you imagine the sound should be. Plus Ramey and Battle are in great form. The perfect Christmas gift." Good, not great Robert Sherman | Gaithersburg MD | 12/03/2004 (3 out of 5 stars) "I own 34 complete Messiah CD recordings, and various excerpts and vinyl versions. In my view, this recording is world-best at only three points: Kathleen Battle's "If God Be For Us" and "And Lo the Angel of the Lord", and the final "Hallelujah", which I splice on to the otherwise better second Marriner version. Battle's "Rejoice" is fine, but she uses exactly the same concept in three recordings, and her execution here is the weakest of the three. She does it better on her recital disk with Marriner, and better still on her "Grace" recital disk. I find Ramey disappointing; such a great voice, but no intensity in this music, and his "eye" sound is too much like "oy". The other soloists, as well as the chorus and orchestra, are competent but not remarkable. For other modern-instrument Messiahs, either of the Davis or Marriner recordings are better,and Westenberg is supreme, as is the Shaw choral excerpt disk from 1966."
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