Composer: George Frideric Handel
Performer: Lucy Crowe, Alex Potter, Michael Spyres, Matthew Brook
Orchestra: The English Concert
Conductor: John Nelson
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Erato
Catalogue: 5419774160
Release: 2023
Size: 2.94 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Messiah, HWV 56
Part 1
01. Sinfonia. Grave – Allegro moderato
02. Accompagnato. “Comfort Ye, My People”
03. Aria. “Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted”
04. Chorus. “And the Glory of the Lord”
05. Accompagnato. “Thus Saith the Lord of Hosts”
06. Aria. “But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming?”
07. Chorus. “And He Shall Purify”
08. Recitative. “Behold, a Virgin Shall Conceive”
09. Aria and Chorus. “O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion”
10. Accompagnato. “For Behold”
11. Aria. “The People That Walked in Darkness”
12. Chorus. “For Unto Us a Child Is Born”
13. Pifa. Larghetto e mezzo piano
14. Recitative. “There Were Shepherds”
15. Recitative. “And Lo, the Angel of the Lord Came Upon Them”
16. Recitative. “And the Angel Said Unto Them”
17. Recitative and Accompagnato. “And Suddenly”
18. Chorus. “Glory to God in the Highest”
19. Aria. “Rejoice Greatly”
20. Recitative. “Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind Be Open’d”
21. Duet. “He Shall Feed His Flock”
22. Chorus. “His Yoke Is Easy”
Part 2
23. Chorus. “Behold the Lamb of God”
24. Aria. “He Was Despised”
25. Chorus. “Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs”
26. Chorus. “And with His Stripes”
27. Chorus. “All We, Like Sheep, Have Gone Astray”
28. Accompagnato. “All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn”
29. Chorus. “He Trusted in God”
30. Accompagnato. “Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart”
31. Aria. “Behold, and See”
32. Recitative. “He Was Cut off out of the Land of the Living”
33. Aria. “But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul in Hell”
34. Chorus. “Lift Up Your Heads”
35. Recitative. “Unto Which of the Angels He at Any Time”
36. Chorus. “Let All the Angels of God Worship Him”
37. Aria. “Thou Art Gone up on High”
38. Chorus. “The Lord Gave the Word”
39. Aria. “How Beautiful Are the Feet”
40. Chorus. “Break Forth into Joy”
41. Chorus. “Their Sound Is Gone out into All Lands”
42. Aria. “Why Do the Nations”
43. Chorus. “Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder”
44. Recitative. “He That Dwelleth in Heaven”
45. Aria. “Thou Shalt Break Them”
46. Chorus. “Hallelujah”
Part 3
47. Aria. “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth”
48. Chorus. “Since by Man Came Death”
49. Accompagnato. “Behold, I Tell You a Mystery”
50. Aria. “The Trumpet Shall Sound”
51. Recitative. “Then Shall Be Brought to Pass the Saying”
52. Duet. “O Death”
53. Chorus. “But Thanks Be to God”
54. Aria. “If God Be for Us”
55. Chorus. “Worthy Is the Lamb”
Appendix
56. Aria. “But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming?”
57. Arioso. “But Lo, the Angel of the Lord Came Upon Them”
58. Aria. “Rejoice Greatly”
59. Aria. “Thou Art Gone up on High”
60. Aria. “Thou Art Gone up on High” (Alternate Version)
61. Aria. “How Beautiful Are the Feet”
62. Aria. “How Beautiful Are the Feet” (Alternate Version)
63. “Their Sound Is Gone out into All Lands”
“A lifetime of performing Messiah has brought me enough courage to record this singularly famous piece of music. With the finest musicians and soloists on the planet surrounding me, I’m finally ready to lay down my personal interpretation for posterity.” The American conductor John Nelson, especially famed for his interpretations of Berlioz, conducted Handel’s most celebrated oratorio at Coventry Cathedral in the heart of England in November 2022. “In today’s turbulent world, I hope that this concert of Messiah in this symbolic location can be a powerful message of hope.” The performance is now released as a three-disc set – comprising the audio version (2 CDs) and the video (1 DVD). Nelson’s chosen version of the score reflects Messiah’s evolution over the period from 1741 (the original autograph) to the early 1750s, when a ‘standard’ version of the oratorio took shape. In addition, the CDs offer eight bonus tracks – alternative versions of now-familiar arias. Joining John Nelson are the historically informed orchestra and choir of The English Concert, soprano Lucy Crowe, countertenor Alex Potter, tenor Michael Spyres and bass Matthew Brook. As the Times wrote of the performance: “From shadowy strings in ‘For behold, darkness shall cover the earth’ to gilded trumpets and exuberant timpani in the final chorus, this was Handel straight from the opera house: dramatic and eloquent.”