George Frideric Handel, Andrew Davis, Kathleen Battle, Florence Quivar, John Aler, Samuel Ramey, Toronto Symphony Orchestra & Toronto Mendelssohn Choir - Handel: Messiah (Complete Oratorio); Battle, Quivar, Aler, Ramey, Davis

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 Amazon.com

Simply the Best

In my lifetime I have either owned or listened to close to 40 recordings of this work in search of the perfect performance, and this one is THE ONLY remaining version in my collection! I have given the others all away.
Why? Emotion, goosebumps, passion...call it what you will, this is the one and only recording that lifts me! It takes my breath away and thrills me like none other.
The performances are second to none in every aspect, the orchestrations, choirs and pipe organ are thrilling and full.
Another point...the tempos. Most performances of the Messiah tend towards being ponderous, whereas this one is anything but. Listen to "And the Glory of the Lord" and the "Hallelujah Chorus" to see what I mean. These will move you like no others!
Credit must also be given to the recording engineers, as this recording does not get 'muddy' during crescendos. The choirs remain distinct and clear, as do the orchestras and organ. That may not be a technical explanation, but the proof is in the product...it will move you!
If there were 10 stars instead of 5 to rate this recording, I would give it all 10 stars!
You will love this performance, period. Buy it.
December 13, 2008

Stand Up and Sing "Hallelujah!"

This is the most exquisite version of "Messiah" I have heard to date. Although I am not a professional musician, I have a good ear and these artists are simply flawless! I particularly appreciate the occasional personal flourish at the end of some arias--a tiny bit of artistic license that still respects the glorious work of Handel. My only complaint relates to the production side of this CD set: the overture and all solos are so quiet, I have to crank up the volume, yet when any chorus begins, the sound is nearly deafening. This peculiar lack of balance is truly disappointing, but something I can live with for the stellar quality of the music. April 16, 2008

wonderful

a wonderful performance blending delicate treatments for the solos and large scale forces for the big choral numbers. The soloists are all divine especially Samuel Ramey. As a Canadian, I am especially happy to find support this as one of the best Messiah's out there. :-) April 12, 2008

Messiah

I selected this recording of Handel's Messiah because of the featured artists and also because it has the complete Oratorio, which not all versions have. It is excellent. January 19, 2008

A Superlative Recording

This is a truly superlative recording of the Messiah. The soloists are all first rate. John Aler could not have done a better job as the tenor, and Samuel Ramey is surely the world's best ever coloratura bass. His voice is big and black and incredibly flexible! And the bass has twice as many arias as anyone else, so this is very important when choosing a Messiah recording. Kathleen Battle is in ravishing voice and the "talk" about her not being emotionally involved is just nonsense. Florence Quivar is a superb mezzo who is not nearly as famous as she should be. She does an excellent job. The conductor also does a superb job, bringing all the forces in line with just the right tempi and dynamics.
My only complaint about this recording is that I think the chorus is merely OK. Personally, I like my choruses to sound like the chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, where every singer could also be a soloist. You won't find that here--it is more on the line of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Good enough, but not great voices. March 11, 2007

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