RECORDINGS

LABEL: PRISM LEISURE
CATALOG NUMBER: PLD 1246
UPC NUMBER: 5014293004626
NUMBER OF DISCS: 1
RUNNING TIME: 59:32
YEAR RECORDED: 1994?
CD RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 8, 2005
CONDUCTOR: RIMANTAS VIVALIAS
ORCHESTRA: THE BALTIC CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
CHOIR: THE RIGA FESTIVAL CHOIR
SOPRANO: UNKNOWN
CONTRALTO: UNKNOWN
TENOR: UNKNOWN
BASS: UNKNOWN
AUDIO SAMPLES HIGHLIGHTS OTHER RELEASES
NONE NONE
DISC ONE

Part I
1. Sinfony 3:13
2. Accompagnato (tenor): Comfort ye, my people 2:38
3. Aria (tenor): Ev'ry valley shall be exalted 3:41
4. Chorus: And He shall purify the sons of Lefi 2:36
5. Aria (alto): O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion 3:51
6. Chorus: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion 1:42
7. Chorus: For unto us a Child is born 4:10
8. PIfa (Pastoral Symphony) 2:55
9. Recitativo (soprano): There were shepherds abiding in the field
10. Chorus: Glory to God in the highest
11. Duetto (soprano, alto): He shall feed His flock like a shepherd 4:54

Part II
12. Chorus: And we like sheep have gone astray 3:59
13. Accomp. (tenor): Thy rebuke hath broken His heart 1:50
14. Arioso (tenor): Behold and see if there be any sorrow 1:46
15. Chorus: The Lord gave the word 1:08
16. Aria (bass): Why do the nations so furiously rage? 2:59
17. Chorus: Hallelujah 3:41

Part III
18. Aria (soprano): I know that my redeemer liveth 5:41
19. Chorus: Amen 4:06
SITE RATING:  5/10
SITE REVIEW:  One of those budget releases that utilizes Eastern Bloc European countries' orchestras and choirs, because they can be had cheaply, can be counted on to give decent performances, but without all of the pesky baggage of "name" recognition and clean English diction.  Actually, this is a good performance - the Baltic Chamber Orchestra plays with light, quick measure, conductor Rimantas Vivalias keeps everything tight and controlled; the recorded sound is excellent - close and balanced.  The unnamed soloists (why?) are generally good, with the tenor soloist having a cheerfully heroic tone, beaten only by the heavy accent which transforms a word like "plain" into "breeeeeeh", and each of his "the"'s into "ze".  The Riga Festival Choir has similar issues, with generally good blend and tone, but mangling the King's English into something from another world.  They are also not as closely mic'ed as the soloists and orchestra, giving them a dim recorded ambiance.  The unnamed alto has a quick, fluttering vibrato which I didn't care for at all, the soprano seemed to be singing from separate room and has a sharp, brittle tone; and the bass soloist chewed his way through his one representative solo ("Why do the nations so furiously rage?") in a very unpleasant manner. The recording has its charming moments, but the time-tested rule of "you get exactly what you pay for" is definitively showcased here.
The Compleat Messiah All Content Copyright © 2010 Bret D. Wheadon
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