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RECORDINGS |
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| LABEL: |
RCA RED SEAL HP |
| CATALOG NUMBER: |
63317 |
| UPC NUMBER: |
090266331727 |
| NUMBER OF DISCS: |
2 |
| RUNNING TIME: |
149:20 |
| YEAR RECORDED: |
1981 |
| CD RELEASE DATE: |
AUGUST 10, 1999 |
| CONDUCTOR: |
RICHARD WESTENBURG |
| ORCHESTRA: |
MUSICA SACRA |
| CHOIR: |
MUSICA SACRA |
| SOPRANO: |
JUDITH BLEGEN |
| ALTO: |
KATHERINE CIESINSKI |
| TENOR: |
JOHN ALER |
| BASS: |
JOHN CHEEK |
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DISC ONE
1 Overture 03:19
2 Recit: Comfort ye, comfort ye my people (Tenor) 03:01
3 Air: Eveery valley shall be exalted (Tenor) 03:25
4 Chorus: And the glory of the Lord 02:43
5 Recit: Thus saith the Lord of hosts (Bass) 01:29
6 Air: But who may abide the day of His coming? (Bass) 04:58
7 Chorus: And He shall purify 02:22
8 Recit: Behold, a virgin shall conceive (Alto) 00:
9 Air & Chorus: O thou that tellest good tidings (Alto) 05:12
10 Recit: For behold, daarkness shall cover the earth (Bass) 02:42
11 Air: The people that walked in the darkness (Bass) 04:21
12 Chorus: For unto us a child is born 03:54
13 Pifa (Pastoral Symphont) 02:58
14 Recit: There were shepherds abiding (Soprano) 00:40
15 Recit: And the angel said unto them (Sopraon) 00:52
16 Recit: And suddenly there was wwith the angel (Soprano) 00:
17 Chorus: Glory to God in the highest 01:57
18 Air: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion (Soprano) 04:41
19 Recit: Then shall the eyes of the blind (Alto) 00:33
20 Air: He shall feed His flock; Come unto Him (Alto & Soprano) 05:09
21 Chorus: His yoke is easy 02:25
22 Chorus: Behold the Lamb of God 04:15
23 Air: He was depissed (Alto) 05:07
24 Chorus: Surely He hath borne our griefs 02:21
25 Chorus: And with His stripes we are healed 01:51
26 Chorus: All we like sheep have gone astray 04:57
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DISC TWO
1 Recit: All they that see Him (Tenor) 00:49
2 Chorus: He trusted in God 02:09
3 Recit: Thy rebuke hath broken His heart (Tenor) 02:21
4 Air: Behold, and see if there be any sorrow (Tenor) 01:43
5 Recit: He was cut off out of the land of the living (Tenor) 00:
6 Air: But Thou didst not leave his soul in hell (Tenor) 02:21
7 Chorus: Lift up your heads, O ye gates 02:58
8 Recit: Unto which of the angels of God worship Him 00:
9 Chorus: Let all the angels of God worship Him 01:31
10 Air: Thou art gone up on high (Bass) 03:12
11 Chorus: The Lord gave the word 01:05
12 Air & Chorus: How beautiful the feet; Break forth (Alto & soprano) 04:28
13 Chorus; Their sound is gone out into all lands 01:39
14 Air: Why do the nation so furiously rage togeether (Bass) 03:00
15 Chorus: Let us breaak their bonds aasunder 01:56
16 Recit: He that dwelleth in Heaven (Tenor) 00:
17 Air: Thou shall break them with a rod of iron (Tenor) 02:02
18 Chorus: Hallelujah! 03:33
19 Air: I know that my Redeemer liveth (Soprano) 07:48
20 Chorus: Since by man came death 02:19
21 Recit: Behold, I tell you a mystery (Bass) 00:46
22 Air: The trumpet shall sound (Bass) 09:15
23 Recit: Then shall be brought to pass (Alto) 00:
24 Duet: O death, where is thy sting? (Alto & Tenor) 01:13
25 Chorus: But thanks be to God 02:48
26 Air: If God be for us (Soprano) 04:41
27 Chorus: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain/Amen 08:20
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SITE RATING: 8/10
SITE REVIEW:
This excellent recording from 1981 features the professional New York-based group Musica Sacra, led by its founder and conductor, Richard Westenburg, who died in 2008. Of Messiah,
he said: "I can remember as a high school boy certain things that
really moved me; many were through some of those passages [in
'Messiah'] of tragic poignancy, and tears would come to my eyes,
because they spoke to me the truths of man's inhumanity; or I could
think about passages of simple, unadorned, direct, honest joy, and I
would know that Handel's overall plan for expressing reconciliation
represented a triumph the striving for which was not futile ... it
reminds me that the survival of worthwhile things can happen; and that
Handel's 'Messiah' helped it happen in me." [1]
Westenburg was renowned for attempting to reconcile various
schools of thought about how Messiah should be performed, and here is
an early example of his efforts: modern instruments, with generally
quick light tempi which benefits from the smaller forces employed.
Everything here is light and tasteful, (with the exception of the
the male soloists, who seem to be singing for a larger hall than the
others). Still, for the price which is asked of it, this is an
exceptional recording, and a recommended first choice; but it's fine
enough on all counts to be included in any Messiah collection. ~ BDW
[1] "Richard
Westenburg, 76, Musical Director" Stephen Miller. 2008. The New
York Sun. February 21, 2008
<http://www.nysun.com/obituaries/richard-westenburg-76-musical-director/71597/>
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