Search - George Frederick Handel, John Eliot Gardiner, Charles Brett :: Händel: Messiah (Highlights)

Another Gardiner success, but not his best

Don Rubottom | 06/22/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This recording of 1978 is an admirable and enjoyable one, but by no means the best Messiah of the hundreds available on the market. For period performances, high in contention should be Christopher Hogwood`s DECCA and L Oiseau-Lyre rendition, created with the Christchurch Choir, Oxford and Academy of Ancient Music in the height of their powers. The choir is electric, the orchestra first-class and the quality of the recording also superb. This recording, though, will largely please those many fans'of John Eliot Gardiner - the speeds are fast, the quality of elocution and life typically excellent, and the soloists very accomplished. A slight complaint would be the dominance of the bass in the recording. But the CD is excellent value and a very good introduction to the Messiah."