Search - George Frideric Handel, Marc Minkowski, Magdalena Kozena :: Handel - Messiah / Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble · Minkowski

Buy it right now!

paulleger | Pittsburgh, PA United States | 12/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have 15 Messiahs in my collection. This goes to the top of the heap. I'm no fan of dry original instrument performances that focus on scholarly recreation of supposed authentic performances. This is an authentic instrument performance but that makes no difference. This is as modern as it gets. The chorus of 36 is lively and unified. The solosts are hand picked and they approach the music like the best of Handel opera. The tempos are astonishingly fast in the parts where that works. They are equally slow when that is appropriate. (Listen to "He was dispised" and tell me if you don't need to be treated for clinical depression when it ends in the the softest pianissimo ever.) It's true that the singers often just barely keep up with the tempo, and what a thrill that is. If you want pomposity there are plenty of performances to make you happy. My favorites in that category are Sargent and the Hollywood-style Beecham. If you want fussy "authenticity," there's plenty out there for you. But if you want to be pulled into a performance that skips and dances, brings tears to your eyes, features uniformly beautiful singing, and has a new and minty-fresh approach to this warhorse, get Minkowski's performance now. The guy is astounding. He has given us the best Gluck ever, the most fun Offenbach that I have heard, and he even got me to sit through a whole Rameau opera. A few more interpreters like this on the classical music scene might actually keep it alive for the future and for new audiences. Excuse me while I go back and dance around the living room with the dog to the strains of the Hallelujah Chorus."

Constructively radical

Robert Sherman | Gaithrsburg MD | 06/12/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This one sure is different. Minkowski says he's never conducted Messiah before because he felt that everything that could be done with it has already been done. When he finally set out to do it, his approach was to ignore all that's been done before and take a totally fresh look. He succeeds in doing that, with mixed results.Generally his philosophy is to do things fast, very fast. In some cases this works; in others (notably "Let us break their bonds asunder") it doesn't. The French Choeur des Musicians de Louvre sings very well and is very well recorded, with each of the four voices distinct in character and the counterpoint exceptionally clear. Their non-native English is noticeable only rarely, usually in pronouncing "the" as "theh" rather than the more musical "thuh". The orchestra is also fine, except for the allegedly-historical vavleless trumpets which are even worse than most attempts on this justifiably-extinct instrument.The solo cast is huge: In addition to the usual SATB there is a second soprano, a mezzo-soprano, a countertenor, and a baritone. The shining stars of the cast, by far, are alto Charlotte Hellekant and tenor John Mark Ainsley.Hellekant is a true alto, not the usual mezzo-soprano in drag. Her voice is phenomenally warm, dark and deep, with immense dynamic range. Her vibrato is a bit tight but after a few notes you forget that. She sings "He was despised" with incredible intensity, redefining what this piece is. The first section is tragic, very slow, mournful, piano to pianissmo and very emotional. The middle section is a dramatic switch to forte spitting and snarling that exceeds even Anne-Sophie von Otter's excellent rendition (with Marriner 2). Then she builds even further intensity in the repeat, an incredible tragic full-voice triple-piano, with fine ornamentation added. She lives in Handel's house. She puts more thought and feeling into this section than anyone I've ever heard, and I have more than 30 Messiah CDs. Her sense of baroque music is perfect, remarkable in that most of her other performing and recording seems to be romantic and modern stuff. The only problem is -- this one piece is all she does! Minkowski erred in giving the other alto sections to the mezzo and countertenor, who are not in her league.Unlike Hellekant Ainsely doesn't break new ground. His conception is fairly conventional, but it's done to perfection. He is musical and sincere throughout: warm and lyrical in the slow parts, exceptionally fast and clean in the running sixteenth notes. IMO he's about tied with Phillip Langridge (on Marriner 1) for best Messiah tenor.As to the other soloists, I could take them or leave them. Nothing really bad, but nothing memorable either. I was particularly disappointed in soprano Lynne Dawson. In her earlier recording with Christophers she is magnificent. But here she is darker, tighter, and somehow seems too rushed to live here. I hope this is just incompability with Minkowski and not time taking its toll.Westenberg remains my favorite Messiah, but this one also is a must-have."

Couldn't Believe My Ears

Bert Ramsey | Nanaimo, B.C. Canada | 11/13/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I honestly couldn't believe my ears as I listened to this disappointing performance. It seemed to me that what we have here is Messiah-as-soap-opera, that is to say gobs of drama--much of it unconvincing--along with considerable unintended comedy. The tempos are simply too extreme, to the point that singers and instrumentalists are frequently unable to articulate. Mind you, there are some good moments, and several of the soloists are excellent. Finally, though, the person seking a dramatic version of Messiah would be better with McCreesh's. And my basic recommendation would remain with Hickox."