US Mall 1 - Handel - Messiah / Erickson, McNair, Hodgson, Humphrey, Stilwell, Atlanta SO, Shaw

	List Price: $17.98 Our Price: $11.69 Your Save: $ 6.29 ( 35% ) Availability: Usually ships in 2 to 3 weeks Manufacturer: Telarc
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Binding: Audio CD EAN: 0089408009327 Label: Telarc Manufacturer: Telarc Number Of Discs: 2 Publisher: Telarc Release Date: 1990-10-25 Studio: Telarc
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Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: The Shaw Version on BMG Red Seal is Better Comment: Robert Shaw's RCA recording of Messiah from the mid-1960s remains a preferred recording of this warhorse. I don't think this remake from 1983 captures the magic of the earlier version. For one thing, I prefer Shaw's earlier solo quartet (Judith Raskin, Florence Kopleff, Richard Lewis, and Thomas Paul). Raskin and Kopleff are particularly good, among the best to have left us accounts of this music. Richard Stilwell (bass) is possibly better than his counterpart Thomas Paul. His baritone timbre is better suited to the bass part, which tends to lie a little high for most basses. The Atlanta strings sound smoother than the occasionally wiry sound of Shaw's orchestra of twenty years earlier. The chorus, however, cannot match the precision of Shaw's Chorale. I can't agree with earlier postings about "cavernous" sound. This Soundstream effort of 25 years ago sounds as forward and airy as many recordings of more recent vintage. I'd still opt for the earlier Shaw/RCA, but this is no slouch. Customer Rating: Summary: A GREAT VERSION TO LISTEN TO Comment: SHAW'S ASO & CHORUS DO A WONDERFUL JOB WITH THIS MESSIAH. IT IS ALSO LIGHT & AIRY WITH GOOD SOLID SOLOISTS. IT IS NOT FLAT, IT IS MOVING. NOTE THAT CONDUCTOR SHAW SETS HIS MUSIC TO A FASTER PACE AS COMPARED TO OTHER CONDUCTORS. SO HIS HALLELUJAH CHORUSES ARE RAPID. HOWEVER, IF YOU COMPARE IT TO MESSIAHS OF THE 1960S/70S ALL YOU WILL HEAR ARE SLOW ORCHESTRAS & VERY FLAT VOICES. YOU CANNOT HAVE A HALLELUJAH CHORUS THAT IS SLOW. YOU CANNOT HAVE FLAT SOLOISTS. SO YOU ARE OKAY WITH THIS EDITION. Customer Rating: Summary: New vs. Old Shaw Recording Comment: I guess I am spoiled, but I truly like the older Shaw recording of Messiah better than the new one, and I have both of them. To me, these two stand light years above and beyond any other recordings on the market. I had the privilege of hearing in concert in person the Shaw Chorale present the earlier recording of Messiah, and have loved it since the mid 60s. The phrasings, entrances, tempi, diction have, in my opinion never been cleaner, crisper, or equaled, nor will they ever be--on BOTH recordings. In addition, on the later recoring he used only the ASO CHAMBER chorus, a smaller group within the full ASO chorus. He followed Handel's intentions, both in terms of numbers of singers and instrumentalists for both recordings, allowing for different personnel in the different performances that occurred during Handel's lifetime. Thankfully, BMG, formerly RCA, has finally released the older recording, which Mr. Shaw took at a faster tempo generally, and, based on his own comments in the booklet accompanying the 3 LP set, that older recording was based insofar as possible on the 1752-53 version of the work. He used the Watkins Shaw edition of the score (published by the British house of Novello), and the joy of the work literally shines through--on both recordings. You can't go wrong either way; I just happen to like the older recording better. I thank God I had the privilege of singing under him in the Brahms' Requiem in German less than a year before his death. Messiah and the Brahms--What a combination.!! Customer Rating: Summary: Inspiring rendition Comment: I'm a Handel fan, but this particular recording ranks with my favorites. The instrumentation and chorals are vivid, and some memorable, excluding the more familiar sections you see in CD collections at the public library. So fortunate to have such quality in one version; complete! Customer Rating: Summary: Very Good Performance, Merely Good Sound Comment: As others have pointed out, the performance is, typically of Shaw, very good. But I've always wished for clearer sound. But I also realize that this is 1984 digital sound - even for Telarc.I guess there aren't too many audiophiles out there, judging from the number who give the sound an "excellent" rating! Recommended, nonetheless.