SITE RATING: 8/10
SITE REVIEW:
With so many Messiah
recordings being produced each year, it now appears as if you much have
a special conceit in order to differentiate new ones from the pack -
the particular conceit for this recording is that it aims to recreate,
as closely as possible, the very first performance version of Messiah,
which took place in Dublin, Ireland, in 1742. Naturally, that
means that they use small forces, period instruments, and something
resembling the original manuscript. Of course, if they REALLY
wanted to be authentic, they would have recorded this IN Dublin,
instead of Edinburgh, Scotland - but no matter, for its purposes, it
succeeds very well, with The Dunedin Consort & Players performing
with great finesse and heart, and the soloists equally matched in terms
of expression and technique. Director John Butt eschews the fiery
tempos usually associated with these kind of revival performances,
instead opting for more moderate, but never slow, tempi which dances
and moves gracefully from one song to the next with little to jar the
listener. The small forces naturally cannot generate the
kind of power that some listeners might wish for the larger choruses,
but at the same time, everything is finely recorded, with this being
perhaps the most understandable choir I've heard on a Messiah.
Conversely, that means that this recording rarely stands out -
and placed on its own merits, it stacks up as another fine,
distinguished Messiah that is easily recommendable.
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