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SITE RATING: 9/10 SITE REVIEW:
Sadly out-of-print, this transcription of Handel's Messiah
for classical guitar is masterfully done by guitarist/Christian artist
Gary Lowry, who faithfully, without any attempt at dramatic
reinvention, has painstakingly converted ten movements of Messiah
for guitar, transcribing the orchestral, solo, and chorus parts, and
then playing each part himself, layering the guitars tracks carefully
over each other seamlessly. The effect is far more effective and
moving than mere "New Age" stylings - which tend to strip down
classical works to bare minimum - Mr. Lowry, in taking all the
different parts into consideration, has made this music something new
to be experienced and appreciated. By using the classical guitar,
he transports Handel's baroque oratorio into a fresh palette; it sounds
not unlike John Dowland's lute music, but using Handel's melodic,
accessible forms. He's amazingly virtuostic as well - one listen
to the intricate fretwork performed on "Glory To God" needs to be heard
to be believed, as he runs effortlessly up and down the scale in
harmonic thirds. I was quite literally entranced by his
sensitive, beautiful playing. My only complaint is that at
thirty-eight minutes, I was left wanting more, and after hearing this
transformed Messiah, I could easily hear the entire work expanded and
re-imagined as a chamber piece. Well worth seeking out if you're
in the mood for hearing Messiah anew.
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