Handel: Messiah London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Colin Davis

• George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759): Messiah: Part I:
• 1 Messiah: Part I, No 1. Sinfonia 03:45
• 2 Messiah: Part I, No 2. Comfort Ye My People 03:00
• 3 Messiah: Part I, No 3. Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted 03:34
• 4 Messiah: Part I, No 4. And the Glory of the Lord 02:46
• 5 Messiah: Part I, No 5. Thus Saith the Lord 01:30
• 6 Messiah: Part I, No 6. But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming? 04:16
• 7 Messiah: Part I, No 7. And He Shall Purify 02:21
• 8 Messiah: Part I, No 8. Behold, a Virgin Shall Conceive 00:23
• 9 Messiah: Part I, No 9. O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion 03:56
• 10 Messiah: Part I, No 9a. O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion 01:43
• 11 Messiah: Part I, No 10. For, Behold, Darkness Shall Cover the Earth 02:26
• 12 Messiah: Part I, No 11. The People That Walked In Darkness 03:11
• 13 Messiah: Part I, No 12. For Unto Us a Child Is Born 04:06
• 14 Messiah: Part I, No 13. Pifa 03:08
• 15 Messiah: Part I, Nos 14a-16. There Were Shepherds Abiding In the Field 01:54
• 16 Messiah: Part I, No 17. Glory to God 01:39
• 17 Messiah: Part I, No 18. Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion 04:39
• 18 Messiah: Part I, No 19. Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind 00:27
• 19 Messiah: Part I, No 20. He Shall Feed His Flock Like a Shepherd 04:58
• 20 Messiah: Part I, No 21. His Yoke Is Easy 02:11
• Messiah: Part II:
• 21 Messiah: Part II, No 22. Behold the Lamb of God 03:33
• 22 Messiah: Part II, No 23. He Was Despised 09:56
• 23 Messiah: Part II, No 24. Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs 02:20
• 24 Messiah: Part II, No 25. And With His Stripes We Are Healed 02:41
• 25 Messiah: Part II, No 26. All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray 04:09
• 26 Messiah: Part II, No 27. All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn 00:49
• 27 Messiah: Part II, No 28. He Trusted In God 02:28
• 28 Messiah: Part II, No 29. Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart 02:27
• 29 Messiah: Part II, No 30. Behold, and See If There Be Any Sorrow 01:27
• 30 Messiah: Part II, No 31. He Was Cut Off Out of the Land of the Living 00:22
• 31 Messiah: Part II, No 32. But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul In Hell 02:29
• 32 Messiah: Part II, No 33. Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates 03:12
• 33 Messiah: Part II, No 34. Unto Which of the Angels Said He At Any Time 00:15
• 34 Messiah: Part II, No 35. Let All the Angels of God Worship Him 01:27
• 35 Messiah: Part II, No 36. Thou Art Gone Up On High 03:22
• 36 Messiah: Part II, No 37. The Lord Gave the Word 01:11
• 37 Messiah: Part II, No 38. How Beautiful Are the Feet 02:26
• 38 Messiah: Part II, No 39. Their Sound Is Gone Out 01:36
• 39 Messiah: Part II, No 40. Why Do the Nations So Furiously Rage Together? 02:41
• 40 Messiah: Part II, No 41. Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder 01:43
• 41 Messiah: Part II, No 42. He That Dwelleth In Heaven 00:16
• 42 Messiah: Part II, No 43. Thou Shalt Break Them 02:06
• 43 Messiah: Part II, No 44. Hallelujah 03:43
• Messiah: Part III:
• 44 Messiah: Part III, No 45. I Know That My Redeemer Liveth 06:01
• 45 Messiah: Part III, No 46. Since By Man Came Death 02:19
• 46 Messiah: Part III, No 47. Behold, I Tell You a Mystery 00:36
• 47 Messiah: Part III, No 48. The Trumpet Shall Sound 08:38
• 48 Messiah: Part III, No 49. Then Shall Be Brought to Pass 00:19
• 49 Messiah: Part III, No 50. O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? 01:10
• 50 Messiah: Part III, No 51. But Thanks Be to God 02:04
• 51 Messiah: Part III, No 52. If God Be for Us 04:50
• 52 Messiah: Part III, No 53a. Worthy Is the Lamb That Was Slain 03:28
• 53 Messiah: Part III, No 53b. Amen 04:12
• Total Runtime 02:26:09

Info for Handel: Messiah

With an outstanding solo quartet and a great chorus and orchestra, Davis leads a sterling performance that challenges the supremacy of his 1966 Philips recording of Messiah. Davis leads a dramatic performance; the famous "Hallelujah" chorus appropriately grand, the final "Amen" bristling with brazen energy, both sung with extraordinary tonal coloring and precise articulation by the chorus, which also shines in a lithe "He shall purify" and a vividly virtuoso "For unto us a child is born." Soprano Susan Gritton's solos are a delight, whether in the measured "Behold, a virgin shall conceive" or her exuberant "Rejoice greatly." The vocal purity of her "I know my redeemer liveth" makes this track a highlight. Alto Sara Mingardo's darker tones are especially moving in her arias and dramatic in "He was despised." The men are almost as good; Alistair Miles sonorous in the bass arias and Mark Padmore recovering nicely after a somewhat mannered "Evr'y valley." The LSO is in excellent form too, the strings expressive in the orchestral interludes and the brass shining brightly in the big choruses of Part III, where the tympani thwacks are startling in their power." (Dan Davis)

"... I would add the unflagging energy of the choral singing and its phenomenal accuracy: the members of Tenebrae ... are clearly all top musical athletes." (International Record Review)

"The choral singing, from Tenebrae, is jaw-droppingly beautiful" (The Guardian)

"a Tremendous new recording" (BBC Radio 3)

"this one [recording[ definitely belongs in the hall of fame ... The musicality in this set is terrific, the Tenebrae Choir a marvel to behold, and the LSO playing like they never have. The soloists are outstanding. The DVD is a bonus, with eleven numbers from the concert performance, plus an interview with Davis ... This is a marvelous set by a man who knows the work perhaps better than anyone, and can get to the heart and soul of Handel's celebrated score. Bravo!" (Audiophile Audition)

Susan Gritton, soprano
Sara Mingardo, alto
Mark Padmore, tenor
Alastair Miles, bass
Sir Colin Davis, conductor
London Symphony Orchestra
Tenebrae Choir
Nigel Short, choir director

Digitally remastered

Sir Colin Davis
The traditional road to success for a conductor used to be an apprenticeship in an opera house as a coach, playing the piano for singers in rehearsal. Colin Davis chose another route, partly by necessity. Unable to play the piano, he was not allowed into the conducting course at the Royal College of Music in London. So, he achieved an important international career by taking the initiative to form ensembles and conduct for friends at first. Early successes included the founding of the Chelsea Opera Group, a company which to this day gives performances of little known operas in concert.

Davis was soon working with professional orchestras including the BBC Scottish Symphony. His first ‘break’ was at Sadler’s Wells in 1958 when his conducting of Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio began a lifelong connection with that composer. The Edinburgh Festival followed along with Glyndebourne. His concert career blossomed in the mid 1960′s alongside his opera work and his other passion for Berlioz began to bring him to the attention of record lovers. He has recorded all the major works of Berlioz, including the first complete (and still regarded as the landmark) recording of Les Troyens.

Davis has enjoyed a career-long affiliation with Philips Classics, recording along with Berlioz, Mozart, the complete symphonies of Sibelius (while he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Boston Symphony in the 1970s) and much more.

Booklet for Handel: Messiah