Composer: George Frideric Handel
Performer: Margaret Price, Yvonne Minton, Alexander Young, Justino Diaz, Amor Artis Chorale
Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Johannes Somary
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Vanguard
Catalogue: ATMCD1969
Release: 1993
Size: 675 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
CD 01
Part 1
01. Sinfonía
02. Recitative: Comfort Ye My People – Tenor
03. Aria: Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted – Tenor
04. Chorus: And The Glory, The Glory Of The Lord
05. Recitative: Thus Saith The Lord – Bass
06. Aria: But Who May Abide – Bass
07. Chor: And He Shall Purify
08. Rcitative: Behold A Virgin Shall Conceive – Alto
09. Aria: O Thou That Tellest – Alto & Chorus
10. Recitative: For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover The Earth – Bass
11. Aria: The People That Walked In Darkness – Bass
12. Chorus: For Unto Us A Child Is Born
13. Pifa (Pastoral Symphony)
14. Recitatives: There Were Shepherds/And Lo, The Angel Of The Lord – Soprano
15. Recitative:And The Angel Said Unto Them – Soprano
16. Recitative: And Suddenly There Was With The Angel – Soprano
17. Chorus: Glory To God In The Highest
18. Aria: Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter Of Zion – Soprano
19. Recitative: Then Shall The Eyes Of The Blind – Alto
20. Duet: And He Shall Feed His Flock – Alto & Soprano
21. Chorus: His Yoke Is Easy
Part 2
22. Chorus: Behold The Lamb Of God
23. Aria: He Was Despised – Alto
CD 02
01. Chorus: Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs
02. Chorus: And With His Stripes We Are Healed
03. Chorus: All We Like Sheep
04. Recitative: All They That See Him – Tenor
05. Chorus: He Trusted In God
06. Recitative: Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart – Tenor
07. Aria: Behold, And See If There By Any Sorrow – Tenor
08. Recitative: He Was Cut Off Out Of The Land – Tenor
09. Aria: But Thou Didnt Not Leave – Tenor
10. Chorus: Lift Up Your Heads
11. Recitative: Unto Which Of The Angels – Tenor
12. Chorus: Let All The Angels Of God Worship Him
13. Aria: Thou Art Gone Up On High – Alto
14. Chorus: The Lord Gave The Word
15. Aria: How Beautiful Are The Feet – Soprano
16. Chorus: Their Sound Is Gone Out
17. Aria: Why Do The Nations? – Bass
18. Chorus: Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder
19. Recitative: He That Dwelleth In Heaven – Tenor
20. Aria: Thou Shalt Break Them – Tenor
21. Chorus: Hallelujah!
Part 3
22. Aria: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth – Soprano
23. Chorus: Since By Man Came Death
24. Recitative: Behold, I Tell You A Mystery – Bass
25. Aria: The Trumpet Shall Sound – Bass
26. Recitative: Then Shall Be Brought To Pass – Alto
27. Duet: O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? – Alto & Tenor
28. Chorus: But Thanks Be To God
29. Aria: If God Be For Us – Soprano
30. Chorus: Worthy Is The Lamb…Amen
While Johannes Somary’s 1970 Vanguard recording of Handel’s Messiah provides an early example of authentic period re-creation — it is a complete performance of the 1966 Watkins Shaw edition, with pared-down choral and orchestral forces, appropriate ornamentation, and a continuo alternating between harpsichord and organ — it sounds a little stilted and awkward by contemporary standards. The rhythms have more than enough snap, and Somary’s tempos are respectably brisk, but the Amor Artis Chorale and the English Chamber Orchestra seem a bit stiff in what was for the time a new way of playing Baroque music, and some uncertainty is detectable in the solo singing. Tenor Alexander Young and bass Justino Diaz both attempt some decorative improvisation in their arias, but their discomfort is apparent in their dubious intonation; while soprano Margaret Price and contralto Yvonne Minton are better with hitting the right pitches, they are nonetheless a little unclear in their embellishments. Even so, this is a spirited performance with a dramatic emphasis: the contrasts of mood are strong, the singers have believable presence, and their energy is unflagging, even in some of the numbers that are usually omitted in conventional performances. Over the years, Somary’s interpretation has been surpassed by other historically informed recordings with better technical and expressive qualities and superior sound quality; yet for all its small flaws, this budget reissue is quite listenable and worth considering if other period Messiahs are unavailable. The sound is quite variable in volume and direction, so this recording is best heard at a fairly high volume setting.