George Frideric Handel Otto Klemperer Philharmonia Orchestra of London

Grand old Messiah recording

klavierspiel | TX, USA | 12/01/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Otto Klemperer's authority drives this recording of Messiah from the sixties. The chorus and orchestra are topnotch, though the general approach by today's standards is somewhat heavy and opaque in texture and tempo. The singers, all internationally known names, were at differing stages in their respective careers--Gedda and Hines were at their peak, while Schwarzkopf's best years were behind her. Although she sings with her characteristic commitment and her English diction is impeccable, she is forced to take some intrusive breaths in the roulades of "Rejoice Greatly." Her fans (of which I am not one) nevertheless will want this recording. Fans of Messiah as a whole also need to know that the cuts that were traditional for many years are all taken--thus there is no "Let All the Angels of God Worship Him (chorus)," "Thou are gone up on high (aria)," "O Death, where is thy sting? (duet)" among other numbers, some of which modern audiences have discovered are among the most beautiful and important in the oratorio. With this big caveat, this recording is still worth hearing for the conducting and most of the singing."

Magnificent recording

Roberto Gonzalez | Buffalo, NY | 11/26/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This "Messiah" recording is magnificent. Nicolai Gedda sounds better than ever and eventhough I believe Elizabeth's voice is kind of heavy for Handel, she does a great job. But the one that really impresses me the most everytime I listen to the recording is Jerome Hines. His bass voice is so wonderful. The LOW notes are so clear and even brilliant and his top register is great too. I know it's a very difficult recording to find because it has been out of print for a long time...Good luck to all of you that are trying to find it. Try also "Messiah" with Joan Sutherland. It is great!!! Best wishes always, Rob"

Big and huge Messiah!

Ryan Kouroukis | Toronto, Ontario Canada | 03/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you like your Messiah to be big and huge then this one is it my friends! Unfortunatly the bozos at EMI have discontinued it.
The opening and closing moments are something to marvel at, and the stereo sound is great. With every aria or recitative in Klemperer's Messiah, he has you listening with great attention (at least for me anyway). The cast is so good, and you can tell that they really wanted to make this a great recording. The Philharmonia chorus is directed by Wilhelm Pitz (from the Bayreuth Festival). They sing with the power and thunder of a volcano, and the sweet hush of a spring breeze. Mind you, with full, clean and clear articulation.
The overall interpretation is so arch-like that it is similar to the way Klemperer does Bach's Mass in B. It's really rare how well he understands the score compared to the millions of cheap Messiah's recordings out there!This Klemp character never ceases to amaze me, and this Messiah I will now place at the top of my Messiah's list. This Messiah is only for those who like their Messiah's grand and noble, and played with great stength. Not at all for the period performance lover with period style practice. This is for Klemp lovers who want to love Klemp even more! If you ever find it, I highly recommend getting it!"

Klemperer Messiah Reissued by ArkivMusic!

Warren King | Lafayette, CA | 07/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"ArkivMusic has recently reissued the EMI digital remastering of Klemperer's 1964 recording of Messiah. As previous reviewers have indicated, this 3 CD set has been out of print for a number of years. It was extremely difficult to find, and very expensive if you were lucky enough to do so. Kudos to Arkiv for this reissue in June, 2008.

I have this recording on LP (Angel), and it is one of my favorite versions of Messiah. I jumped on the CD as soon as I found out that it is again available. Klemperer's recording is a grand version, with powerful full orchestra and chorus. Having said that, the orchestra, chorus and soloists are well balanced, and the articulation of the chorus is wonderfully clear. Klemperer's pace is exemplary, in my opinion, being neither too rapid or too slow.

If you are looking to make your first purchase of Messiah, I do not think that you will be disappointed by this version. While it is a little more expensive than some of the other versions that are available, you may well find it so satisfying that you want no others. If you have a historically informed performance of Messiah, with an orchestra and chorus the size that Handel would have used, I urge you to give Klemperer a try, for a different perspective. If you are a Messiah collector, you may already have Klemperer's version on LP or tape. Here is your chance to get it on CD, in case your copy is wearing out.

"

The best of all Messiah recordings

Tommy Mcmullins | 12/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a Messiah aficionado for over 35 years and the recording by Klemperer is by far the best of them all. The major disappointment with many Messiah recordings is the rapid or sluggish pace of the performers. Klemberer's pace is easier to follow and this, coupled with the grand orchestral and choral presentations, make Klemperer a "must have" for lovers of Messiah.

As indicated by a previous reviewer, EMI has discontinued this recording. I searched Google for many minutes trying to find this recording. I found one on e-bay, but it was a 33 and I prefer the CD set. Amazon allows you to be placed on a waiting list for the recording. One of the CD's in my 3-set collection is cracked, so I am going to personally contact EMI and ask them to do a new release. I urged anyone who is seriously considering purchasing this masterpiece to latch on to it quickly should one be found.

"

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	George Frideric Handel, Otto Klemperer, Philharmonia Orchestra of London Messiah Genres: Special Interest, Classical
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