So Good Together

So Good Together

ASIN: B000053SRU

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Reba is the Oprah of country music. Both have built their careers into empires by embodying the concerns, hopes, and desires of the average (whoever she is) American woman. So Good Together ranks with the country veteran's most consistently satisfying releases, confirming that she remains very much in touch with her core audience. Whether she's addressing the bittersweet end of a marriage ("Back Before the War"), commiserating over hot-button parental dilemmas ("What Do You Say"), or wondering how a relationship that seems so right can feel so wrong ("I'm Not Your Girl"), her down-home phrasing has the transparent intimacy of a heart-to-heart chat. She continues to stretch herself artistically as well, teaming with the popular Brazilian duo of Jose y Durval for a bilingual finale of Boz Scaggs's "We're All Alone." --Don McLeese

Tracks:

We're So Good Together
'Til I Said It To You
I'll Be
What Do You Say
Roses
I'm Not Your Girl
She Wasn't Good Enough For Him
Nobody Dies From A Broken Heart
Back Before The War
When You're Not Trying To
Where You End And I Begin
We're All Alone

Amazon.com

Reba is the Oprah of country music. Both have built their careers into empires by embodying the concerns, hopes, and desires of the average (whoever she is) American woman. So Good Together ranks with the country veteran's most consistently satisfying releases, confirming that she remains very much in touch with her core audience. Whether she's addressing the bittersweet end of a marriage ("Back Before the War"), commiserating over hot-button parental dilemmas ("What Do You Say"), or wondering how a relationship that seems so right can feel so wrong ("I'm Not Your Girl"), her down-home phrasing has the transparent intimacy of a heart-to-heart chat. She continues to stretch herself artistically as well, teaming with the popular Brazilian duo of Jose y Durval for a bilingual finale of Boz Scaggs's "We're All Alone." --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

REBA'S LAST CD OF THE MILLENIUM IS UNMEMORABLE.......2005-10-23

Most of the songs here are ballads of which there are two that I really like: "Back Before the War" and "She Wasn't Good Enough For Him". The rest of the stuff here is unmemorable.

HALF GOOD, HALF BAD.......2005-10-21

Out of the twelve songs on this CD half of them are good. The rest you can throw away. THe good ones: "I'll Be" (but this could have used a better arrangement), "Roses", "I'm Not Your Girl", "She Wasn't Good Enough for Him", "Back Before the War" and "We're All Alone". The worst two songs on here are the title track "We're So Good Together" (my ears hurt from the guitar licks) and "Nobody Dies from a Broken Heart" (one of the ugliest songs I've ever heard in my life!!! A good song will stand up with lyrics AND melody...not just lyrics!!!) I'll give this release 2.5 stars because half of it is good and the other half isn't. She could have released half a CD for half the price, couldn't she??

MORE POP STUFF FROM THE DIVA!.......2005-10-12

Listen to the first song...that's all just the first one!! An electric guitar nearly bursts your ear drums!! Its the title cut and it made me want to scream!! Some of the other tunes here are o.k. but they will never measure up to Reba's work before she became a diva. This CD is one to skip! Unless you like pop music like Britney Spears!

IT COULD HAVE BEEN A MASTERPIECE!!.......2005-10-09

There are many Reba albums that are masterpieces as far as I'm concerned. Some of these are : "Whoevers In New England", "What Am I Gonna Do About You", "Heart to Heart" and "Unlimited" and "For My Broken Heart". To qualify an album for "masterpiece status" ALL THE SONGS on it have to be single material. The problem with this Cd is that there are many brilliant songs on here that should have been released as singles but weren't. The rest of the songs are throwaways. The title track is a total loser...a rock and roll type of song that with a terrible melody. The keepers are "I'll Be", "I'm Not Your Girl", "Roses", "She Wasn't Good Enough For Him" and "Back Before the War". THe outstanding cut is her duet at the end with Jose and Durval the Brazilian guys who sound great with Reba. Reba should be very proud of the way this song turned out. It alone makes the album worthwhile. THe other songs "What do You Say", "When You're Not Trying To", "Nobody Dies From a Broken Heart" and ther rest are all forgettable!! It makes me sad because this had the potential to be a true masterpiece if Reba had only picked out songs like the "good ones" I mentioned above. The good ones are all excellent "single potential" songs and excellent in every way!!

WHY DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO BE SO LOUD???.......2005-10-06

Ms. McEntire sure likes her music loud and overpowering. More is not better and this CD could use some toning down because some of the songs are actually pretty good. Its the overproduction that kills it. That's why I'm only giving it one star. Listen to the first track if you don't believe me. You'll need to take some Excedrin Migraine after it.

Elaine Stritch - At Liberty (2002 Original Broadway Production)

Average customer rating:

A National Treasure
Stritch is superb
Entertaining but grating on the ears
Great Broadway Review
Elaine Stritch at Liberty

Elaine Stritch - At Liberty (2002 Original Broadway Production)
Elaine Stritch , Irving Berlin , John/ Stritch, Elaine Lohr , Porter P. Grainger , Albert Hague , Stephen Sondheim , Carl Sigman , Richard Rodgers , Sir Noel Coward , George Gershwin , Jule Styne , John Campo , and Billy Miller
Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Elaine Stritch at Liberty
Bea Arthur on Broadway - Just Between Friends
Stritch
Company - A Musical Comedy (1970 Original Broadway Cast)
Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast)

ASIN: B000060P33
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Tracks:

There's No Business Like Show Business (Berlin)
Caca
I Want a Long Time Daddy (Grainger)
A Piece of Mahler
This Is All Very New to Me (Hague/Horwitt)
Going to New York
Marlon Brando
Broadway Baby (Sondheim)
My First Broadway Show
Civilization (Hilliard/Sigman)
Ethel Merman
Can You Use Any Money Today? (Berlin)
Pal Joey
Zip (Hart/Rodgers)
Ben Gazzara
Nokl Coward
Why Do the Wrong People Travel (Coward)
Richard Burton
But Not for Me/If Love Were All (Gershwin/Gershwin)
I'm Still Here (Sondheim)
Booze
Little Things You Do Together (Sondheim)
The Ladies Who Lunch (Sondheim)
John Bay
There Was Never a Baby Like My Baby (Comden/Green/Styne)
I've Been to a Marvelous Party (Coward)
God So Quickly
The Party's Over (Comden/Green/Styne)
Absent Almost Always
Something Good (Rodgers)

Tracks:

I'm Still Here (Sondheim)
Booze
Little Things You Do Together (Sondheim)
The Ladies Who Lunch (Sondheim)
John Bay
There Was Never a Baby Like My Baby (Comden/Green/Styne)
I've Been to a Marvelous Party (Coward)
God So Quickly
The Party's Over (Comden/Green/Styne)
Absent Almost Always
Something Good (Rodgers)

Amazon.com

Elaine Stritch is a legend and she knows it. And so she came up with a whole one-woman show about the best topic she could think of: her life in the theater. And what a trip it's been. From Ethel Merman to Noel Coward, Stritch has worked with some of the greatest names to grace the American stage, and she has anecdotes about all of them (most are included on this recording). In this show, she hits all the marks with the acuity of a seasoned pro who's seen it all and whose love for the theater remains undiluted. Stritch is not a traditionally pretty singer (those gravelly pipes!), but she absolutely knows how to give life to a song, extracting the last drop of meaning, dropping pauses for effect with deadly accuracy. Sondheim's "Ladies Who Lunch" and "Broadway Baby" will be hers forever, and a case could be made for the hilarious "Zip" (from Pal Joey) and the obscure, spectacularly politically incorrect "Civilization" (from the revue Angel in the Wings) as well. Fittingly, this two-CD set includes "I'm Still Here," which may well be Stritch's motto. If you're looking for a concise yet bewitching history of the musical, this is it. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

A National Treasure.......2007-07-05

This double CD is stuffed full of great songs and amazing stories. My favorite stories are of Elaine's date with Marlon Brando, what she thought some lyric are/meant, and her time in Compant. The total honesty that she brings it all together is touching and inspiring.

Very few people have the length or variety of a career that Elaine Stritch has had. I am sure that she has enough stories to do ten more shows.

If you love Broadway then you must buy this CD.

Stritch is superb.......2007-06-27

The only disappointment is that I missed the show live. This is a terrific honest performance by an actor who has a deep well of experience from which to draw. From her early childhood memories, through acting school, her loves, her struggles and more, Ms Stritch weaves a fascinating and completely enthralling story. Ultimately, she lives the songs, rather than just performs and this is what really marks her out.
I am so glad, she's still here!

Entertaining but grating on the ears.......2007-05-11

I've never been able to understand what is so great about Elaine Stritch's singing. It's simple: she can't sing. I've tried and tried to like her, and I do, as an actress, but NOT as a singer. Listening to these CDs, all I hear is a grouchy old lady voice with no vibrato, no range, and no ability to hold notes. If she were to try out for American Idol she would get cringes! I love her humor and honesty, and that's why I bought this, but the voice...ugh.

Great Broadway Review.......2007-04-11

I thoroughly enjoy this collection of stories from her experiences from a teenage girl in Michigan through her career, very funny, some sad and great entertainment.

Elaine Stritch at Liberty.......2007-01-19

Completely entertaining---a bit maudilin in places, but a must have for any Elaine Stritch fan.

Certainly worth the money!

Handel - Messiah / Vyvyan · Sinclair · Vickers · Tozzi · Royal PO · Beecham

Average customer rating:

Beecham's noisy Messiah
The Big Victorian Handel 'Messiah': Indulge Yourself!
Comfort Ye!
Familiarity hasn't bred much affection
Thanks to Jon!

Handel - Messiah / Vyvyan · Sinclair · Vickers · Tozzi · Royal PO · Beecham
George Frideric Handel , Sir Thomas Beecham , Jennifer Vyvyan , Monica Sinclair , Royal Philharmonic Orchestra , Jon Vickers , and Giorgio Tozzi
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Handel - Messiah / Harper, Watts, Wakefield, Shirley-Quirk, LSO, C. Davis
Handel: Messiah
Purcell: Dido and Aeneas / James, Lewis, Baker, Herincx
Messiah (Complete)
Handel - Joshua / Kirkby, Bowman, Oliver, Ainsley, George, The King's Consort

ASIN: B000003FB8
Release Date: 1992-07-14

Tracks:

Messiah: Overture - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Messiah: Recit: Comfort Ye, My People (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
Messiah: Air: Every Valley Shall Be Exalted (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
Messiah: Chorus: And The Glory Of The Lord - John McCarthy
Messiah: Recit: Thus Saith The Lord Of Hosts (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
Messiah: Air: But Who May Abide (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
Messiah: Chorus: And He Shall Purify - John McCarthy
Messiah: Recit: Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive (Contralto) - Monica Sinclair
Messiah: Air & Chorus: O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings (Contralto) - John McCarthy
Messiah: Recit: For, Behold, Darkness Shall Cover (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
Messiah: Air: The People That Walked In Darkness (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
Messiah: Chorus: For Unto Us A Child Is Born - John McCarthy
Messiah: Pastoral Symphony - Royal Philharmonic Chorus
Messiah: Recit: There Were Shepherds Abiding (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan
Messiah: Recit: And The Angel Said Unto Them (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan
Messiah: Recit: And Suddenly There Was (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan
Messiah: Chorus: Glory To God In The Highest - John McCarthy
Messiah: Air: Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan
Messiah: Recit: Then Shall The Eyes (Contralto) - Monica Sinclair
Messiah: Air: He Shall Feed His Flock; Come Unto Him (Contralto & Soprano) - Monica Sinclair
Messiah: Chorus: His Yoke Is Easy - John McCarthy

Tracks:

Messiah: Chorus: Behold The Lamb Of God - John McCarthy
Messiah: Air: He Was Despised (Contralto) - Monica Sinclair
Messiah: Chorus: Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - John McCarthy
Messiah: Chorus: And With His Stripes We Are Healed - John McCarthy
Messiah: Chorus: All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray - John McCarthy
Messiah: Recit: All They That See Him (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
Messiah: Chorus: He Trusted In God - John McCarthy
Messiah: Recit: Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
Messiah: Air: Behold, And See If There Be (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
Messiah: Recit: He Was Cut Off Out Of The Land (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
Messiah: Air: But Thou Didst Not Leave (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
Messiah: Chorus: Lift Up Your Heads - John McCarthy
Messiah: Air: How Beautiful Are The Feet (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan
Messiah: Chorus: Their Sound Is Gone Out Into All Lands - John McCarthy
Messiah: Air: Why Do The Nations So Furious Rage (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
Messiah: Chorus: Lets Us Break Their Bonds Asunder - John McCarthy
Messiah: Recit: He That Dwelleth In Heaven (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
Messiah: Air: Thou Shalt Break Them (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
Messiah: Chorus: Hallelujah! - John McCarthy
Messiah: Part III - Air: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan
Messiah: Chorus: Since By Man Came Death - John McCarthy
Messiah: Recit: Behold, I Tell You A Mystery (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
Messiah: Air: The Trumpet Shall Sound (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
Messiah: Chorus: Worthy Is The Lamb - John McCarthy

Tracks:

Messiah: Recit: Unto Which Of The Angels (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
Messiah: Chorus: Let All The Angels Of God Worship Him - John McCarthy
Messiah: Air: Thou Art Gone Up On High (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
Messiah: Chorus: The Lord Gave The Word - John McCarthy
Messiah: Recit: Then Shall Be Brought To Pass (Contralto) - Monica Sinclair
Messiah: Duet: O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? (Contralto & Tenor) - Monica Sinclair
Messiah: Chorus: But Thanks Be To God - John McCarthy
Messiah: Air: If God Be For Us (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan

Amazon.com essential recording

Sir Thomas Beecham's Messiah has become notorious among baroque purists (like this writer) for embodying the worst excesses of pre-1960 Handel performance: ponderous tempos, stentorian opera singers, huge lumbering choruses and orchestras, crashing cymbals, clanging triangles.... Well, we'll need a new straw man: this performance is WONDERFUL. Jon Vickers and Giorgio Tozzi negotiate Handel's writing surprisingly well; Jennifer Vyvyan takes to it naturally. The chorus and orchestra (yes, including trombones, tuba, triangle, and cymbals) may obscure the part-writing, but they fill the music with power, grandeur, and faith. If Mozart could re-orchestrate Messiah, why not Beecham? This may not be Handel's Messiah as such, it may even be a period piece itself--but it's magnificent. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Beecham's noisy Messiah.......2006-12-23

Here's the famous Messiah from Thomas Beecham and forces that uses crashing cymbals, enhanced timpani and brass to make it sound like a collusion between classical forces, a rock band and Canadian Brass. Listen to second CD excerpt from "Hallelujah!" for the opening cymbal crash to get an idea of what's going on.

This performance has been debated for 40 years as to whether it is musically adept, musically correct, an exemplar of the English choral tradition, or just a big old batch of fun at Handel's expense. I first owned this during a time when I also owned a recording Handel's "Royal Fireworks Music" featuring 40 woodwinds. The two made roughly an equal amount of noise.

There isn't much question this performance is completely out of step with the way Handel is performed in most venues today. Check out the wonderful Jon Vickers' highly operatic opening aria, "Comfort ye", then compare that to any leaned-out period group you've heard. You'll get another idea of the dimension of Beecham's project.

While not on the agenda of the Flat Earth Society, the only real interest in a performance like this -- especially having to endure it on three CDs when just about everyone else puts it on two -- is nostalgia or history, whichever happens to be the case for you.

My personal favorite version is in the 4-CD box of "Messiah" and "Israel In Egypt" where Andrew Parrott leads his Taverner Choir & Players and some of the best early music singers including Emma Kirkby, Emily van Evera, Margaret Cable, David Thomas, and Joseph Cornwall. HIs Messiah isn't perfect -- it uses a countertenor for a bass in one aria -- but it is more moderate than most PPP recordings and has a wonderful romantic edge to most of the score. It comes with a top notch recording of "Israel in Egypt" and still costs less than the Beehcham.

The Big Victorian Handel 'Messiah': Indulge Yourself!.......2006-12-16

We live in an era when purity of intent and respect for composers' works is at an all time high. Not only are we blessed with superb 'authentic' performances on period instruments and with small choruses and countertenors and state of the art bel canto singers for Handel's evergreen "Messiah", there are many superlative recordings that are as polished as any one work on current recordings. Supposedly we are hearing Messiah the way Handel envisioned it. Perhaps so, but who is to say that had Handel the resources available today he wouldn't have jumped for joy at the drama of the old British Choral Societies version that Sir Thomas Beecham conducts on this anything but dusty recording from many years ago. The 'Old School' had its good points.

Beecham goes all out with an orchestration, while attributed to Sir Eugene Goosens is also probably some of Beecham's own inimitable tinkering, that adds instruments not only in numbers but also in color and depth of sound. Winds double strings, percussion includes the full battery instead of just tympani, the big cello and viola sound stand equally with the big violin sound, etc. The chorus is huge, and while this allows the big dramatic moments to be intense, the fine diction Beecham demanded remains solidly intact.

The soloists are in an operatic class of their own. Jennifer Vyvyan and Monica Sinclair were major singers when this recording was made and their singing is big and well ornamented. Jon Vickers and Giorgio Tozzi bring Verdi into the room and he is a welcome visitor to Beecham's vision of this work.

For this listener, who prefers the 'correct, authentic' performance, this recording and others even older that celebrate the BIG Messiah are a delight. And that just proves that performance standards, no matter the interpretation of the conductor, are paramount: Beecham gives a solid, convincing interpretation to the operatic Messiah. It is lush, and huge, and absolutely wonderful to hear again! Grady Harp, December 06

Comfort Ye!.......2006-10-30

If your not familiar with "Messiah" don't let the reviews scare you - this is certainly a great choice for your first or only recording. There is a lot of feeling in the playing and singing, and i feel it is quite respectful not only of the composer, but the subject matter. It includes a booklet with all the lyrics, and an essay by Beecham himself about the piece. It is a complete recording, with a "bonus cd" of extra verses not usually performed (as explained in the essay). The audio quality is great for the time it was recorded. Its much more worthy to be listened to and contemplated than to be put on as backround music at Christmastime. The price is certainly reasonable in light of the quality of the performance.

Familiarity hasn't bred much affection.......2005-11-02

I first became acquainted with this recording at the tender age of 12 when I received the original Soria edition as a Christmas gift. I remember being intensely disappointed at what seemed to me then as more circus than music. Time has mellowed that negative reaction and gives a more balanced assessment of Beecham's achievement - I bought the CD reissue after all. It still doesn't inspire much affection in yours truly although I can appreciate the soloists' contributions, particularly Tozzi. The lamented Vyvyan was in better voice with Boult. Here she has a rapid vibrato and a curious way of articulating the high notes. The orchestrations seem to maintain more of the clarity of the writing by concentrating on the bass and the top without clogging up the middle voices in the manner of the Victorians. There are three pieces where it just doesn't work at all to these ears: the brassy "All we like sheep," "Hallelujah" (which summons visions of Fucik's 'Entry of the Gladiators' every time I hear it), and the disintegration of the obbligato trumpet into flute noodlings in "The trumpet shall sound," in a lightweight performance that is at odds with the grandeur of the text. I'll also admit that the splashy brilliance of "For unto us a Child is born" and the surging drama of "Surely, He hath borne our griefs" are very satisfying.

In the forty some recordings I own (and the many performances I've attended) there's no best and no definitive. This is one I respect but don't care to hear very often.

Thanks to Jon!.......2005-03-08

This recording is worth having first of all beacause of the credible singing of Jon Vickers! Yes, he really sings on the words. The "Comfort Ye" and "Every valley..." have a knew dimension after Jons reading of the score. Of course I know that in tradition we want a very much more lyrical voice to this masterpiece. But he's not alone here, and now we are already into the problem; the choir! It's just terrible, yes terrible!
I'm just ending up with "Thanks to Jon!"

Average customer rating:

Highlights from stately classic version of Messiah
Good performances, mediocre sound quality
A signature Christmas album (at least for me)

Handel: Messiah - Arias & Choruses

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Handel: Messiah

ASIN: B00004Z1BB
Release Date: 2001-03-27

Tracks:

No. 2 Recitative: Comfort Ye, Comfort Ye My People - Kenneth McKellar
No. 3 Aria: Every Valley Shall Be Exalted - Kenneth McKellar
No. 4: And The Glory Of The Lord - London Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
No. 8 Recitative: Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive; No. 9 Aria: O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion - Grace Bumbry
No. 12: For Unto Us A Child Is Born - London Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
No. 16: Recitative: And Suddenly There Was With The Angel; No. 17: Glort To God In The Highest - Joan Sutherland
No. 18 Aria: Rejoice Greatly, O Duaghter Of Zion - Joan Sutherland
No 40 Aria: Why Do The Nations So Furiously Rage Together? - David Ward
No. 41: Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder - London Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
No. 44: Hallelujah! - London Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
No. 45 Aria: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth - Joan Sutherland
No. 47 Recitative: Behold I Tell You A Mystery; No. 48 Aria: The Trumpet Shall Sound - David Ward
No. 53: Worthy Is The Lamb - Amen - London Symphony Orchestra And Chorus

Customer Reviews:

Highlights from stately classic version of Messiah.......2005-12-11

This recording by Sir Adrian Boult and the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus dates from the early 1960s, and seems now very much an old-school rendering of Handel's beloved masterpiece. As such it still has its pleasures, among them the skilled singing of the chorus and two major stars, Joan Sutherland and Grace Bumbry, in their youthful primes. Though there are no "added accompaniments" of the kind that used to be routine and unwelcome additions to Handel's original, lean orchestration, modern connoisseurs of Baroque music may find the choruses, particularly the famous "Hallelujah," and final "Amen," altogether too leaden in pacing and glutinous in texture. In general the performance practice is restrained, with barely an ornamented da capo to be found, and even essential vocal appoggiaturas omitted. The selection of numbers on this highlights disc is not particularly satisfying; an apparent desire to give all soloists and chorus more or less equal time results in some jarring skips in continuity and unfathomable omissions, as well as equally strange inclusions. I would have opted for hearing the chorus "Lift up your heads, O ye gates" over a complete, nine-minute "Trumpet Shall Sound," for example, since there is not one ornament in the da capo and bass David Ward is taxed by the high tessitura. Nevertheless, the overall authority of Boult's interpretation makes this venerable Messiah still worth a listen, especially at this bargain price.

Good performances, mediocre sound quality.......2004-11-29

The remastering of this CD was not top notch. The sound quality is far inferior to my DDD from Hyperion starring Lynn Dawson,Katherine James et al.
But I'm still looking for the perfect Messiah recording.

A signature Christmas album (at least for me).......2002-12-24

I remember this playing in the background in the house back when I was a kid. It defined Christmas for me. I've heard several versions of "The Messiah" but this one, from the London Symphony Orchestra, is the most full and robust. There seems to be no rival, in my opinion. I highly recommend this for new families. Whether you're religious or not and celebrate Christmas/the year-end holidays as a religious event or a simple but important time for a family get-together, either the lyrics and/or the sound of the music will stay with you for many Christmases to come. The stand out song is Hallelujah. Though, I'm not a complete aficionado of classical music (especially of the religious kind), this must be one of Sir Adrian Boult's finest. But I'm speaking from the LP and tape versions. I can only imagine the sound from the CD version. I highly recommend this recording.

UPDATE: Yup, this is the tape I remember. Down to the quality. I dunno about anybody else, but that's part of the charm for me. It reminds me of the tape and that reminds me of Christmases past. I love it.

Average customer rating:

Finally a Messiah with fervor!
Great recording!
Good and Bad
This is a great recording!

Handel: Messiah

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Christmas at Trinity

ASIN: B00002R16A
Release Date: 1999-11-30

Tracks:

Messiah: No. 1 Overture
Messiah: No. 2 Arioso For Tenor
Messiah: No. 3 Air For Tenor
Messiah: No. 4 Chorus
Messiah: No. 5 Recitative For Bass
Messiah: No. 6 Air For Bass
Messiah: No. 7 Chorus
Messiah: No. 8 Recitative For Alto
Messiah: No. 9 Air For Alto And Chorus
Messiah: No. 10 Arioso For Bass
Messiah: No. 11 Air For Bass
Messiah: No. 12 Chorus
Messiah: No. 13 Pifa (Pastoral Symphony)
Messiah: No. 14a Recitative And No. 14b Arioso For Soprano
Messiah: No. 15 Recitative For Soprano
Messiah: No. 16 Arioso For Soprano
Messiah: No. 17 Chorus
Messiah: No. 18 Air For Soprano
Messiah: No. 19 Recitative For Alto
Messiah: No. 20 Air For Alto And Soprano
Messiah: No. 21 Chorus
Messiah: No. 22 Chorus
Messiah: No. 23 Air For Alto
Messiah: No. 24 Chorus
Messiah: No. 25 Chorus
Messiah: No. 26 Chorus

Tracks:

Messiah: No. 27 Arioso For Tenor
Messiah: No. 28 Chorus
Messiah: No. 29 Recitative For Tenor
Messiah: No. 30 Air For Tenor
Messiah: No. 31 Recitative For Tenor
Messiah: No. 32 Air For Tenor
Messiah: No. 33 Chorus
Messiah: No. 34 Recitative For Tenor
Messiah: No. 35 Chorus
Messiah: No. 36 Air For Alto
Messiah: No. 37 Chorus
Messiah: No. 38 Aria For Soprano
Messiah: No. 39 Chorus
Messiah: No. 40 Air For Bass
Messiah: No. 41 Chorus
Messiah: No. 42 Recitative For Tenor
Messiah: No. 43 Air For Tenor
Messiah: No. 44 Chorus
Messiah: No. 45 Air For Soprano
Messiah: No. 46 Chorus
Messiah: No. 47 Recitative For Bass
Messiah: No. 48 Air For Bass
Messiah: No. 49 Recitative For Alto
Messiah: No. 50 Duet For Alto And Tenor
Messiah: No. 51 Chorus
Messiah: No. 52 Air For Soprano
Messiah: No. 53 Chorus
Messiah: Amen

Customer Reviews:

Finally a Messiah with fervor!.......2005-10-20

I've hunted a thrilling performance of The Messiah through 240 versions so far. This is the best I've found. Some are self-conscious, dutifully singing as instructed. Some are almost childish in their lilt. Some are overblown with so much bombast that you can barely hear the heart of the music. Some are concentrated on faithfulness to the original instruments. If you want a performance that will make you shiver with the power and joy of the music, this is the one. The singers are singing about GLORY. They sound as if they are ecstatic. The musicians are at one with the music and they create a virtual cathedral wherever this CD is played, just close your eyes. Or, let your own imagery, be it celestial, or of great oceans...carry you away.

Great recording!.......2003-09-22

There are so many performances of the Messiah out there that it is very difficult to point to a difinative one, but I'd put this in the catagory of the "very good" ones. As other reviewers have said, every performance is different and has its own character. Each has stronger and weaker points. Here the conductor and musicians have made good, solid musical choices. There is an amazing attention to detail which is not so obvious the first listen through but which makes the piece shine. The tempos seem to be right on, and there is no frivolous over-embellishment by the soloists. There is no attempt to be showey. The dramatic dynamics in the first section of the overture are interesting, but seem to work after you hear it a few times. This performance also includes sections which are often omitted (Second half of "He shall feed his flock," "Thou art gone up on high," "Great was the company of the preachers," and "Death where is thy sting"). I prefer the more intimate quality of a small ensemble of musicians to the mega-performances by the London Philharmonic, Vienna State Opera Orchestra, etc.. As with this performance, the smaller group lends a clarity to the music, where the larger ensembles can get a little "muddy" at times. Just my personal preference. Overall, this is a very good performance, and certainly the low price (being on the Naxos lable) makes this a clear choice.

Good and Bad.......2000-04-09

I was more interested in "The Messiah" for the religious content than as a music critic, but this was too much. The strings are tinny. The orchestra is plodding. The soloists and choir are thankfully very good and seem to understand the meaning of the words. It is a shame the sound mix is uneven. The male parts come across loud and clear, but the poor women. For instance, No. 9 Oh thou that tellest..., the soloist sounded like she was singing in an echo chamber far from the mike. This is one of the most disappointing versions of "The Messiah" I have heard in a long time.

This is a great recording!.......2000-02-11

I was really surprised with the new that the Messiah's New World premiere was held at Trinity Church in October 1770, twenty-eight years after it was written. This fact only will make one proud in having this CD among his collection.

Anyhow, this is nothing more than a historic detail and would not count if this recording had not an outstanding first-rate ensemble of singers. Without doubt there is no definitive version of Messiah. Each one has its own distinctive touch and feeling and exploring it is always a pleasant journey through imagination.

Tracks:

Handel's 'Messiah': Overture - The London Philharmonic Orchestra/Walter Susskind
Handel's 'Messiah': And The Glory Of The Lord - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
Handel's 'Messiah': Behold A Virgin Shall Conceive - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
Handel's 'Messiah': For Unto Us A Child Is Born - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
Handel's 'Messiah': There Were Shepherds Abiding In The Field - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
Handel's 'Messiah': He Shall Feed His Flock Like A Shepherd - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
Handel's 'Messiah': Behold The Lamb Of God - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
Handel's 'Messiah': He Was Despised And Rejected Of Men - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
Handel's 'Messiah': Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
Handel's 'Messiah': Why Do The Nations So Furiously Rage - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
Handel's 'Messiah': Hallelujah - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
Handel's 'Messiah': Since By Man Came Death - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
Handel's 'Messiah': Worthy Is The Lamb That Was Slain/Amen - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson

Tracks:

The Lord's Prayer
Old Rugged Cross
Onward Christian Soldiers
Rock Of Ages
How Great Thou Art
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
I Believe
Lord Hear Our Prayer
Now The Day Is Over
Amazing Grace
Ave Maria
Let Us Humbly Sing Our Praises
O Holy Night
Praise, Praise The Lord
Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven
Oh Lord Most Holy
Unfold Your Portals
Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring
The Lord Is My Shepherd
All The People That On Earth Do Dwell
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Oh God Our Help In Ages Past
Holy, Holy, Holy
Battle Hymn Of The Republic
Keeping Faith

Tracks:

A Dream Of Peace
All In This April Evening
Our Wedding
Bless This House
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Climb Every Mountain
Day By Day (Theme From Godspell)
Down By The Riverside
The Impossible Dream
Swing Low Sweet Chariot
The Day Is Gently Sinking To Close
Jesus Christ Superstar
Abide With Me
March On
Peace In The Valley
Go Tell It On The Mountain
Born Free
American Trilogy
Sunrise, Sunset
I Don't Know How To Love Him
Blessed Be The Tie That Binds
Enduring Light

Handel - Messiah / Baird · Lane · Price · Deas · Radu [Highlights]

Average customer rating:

Budget Messiah a Great Bargain
Very good buy.

Handel - Messiah / Baird · Lane · Price · Deas · Radu [Highlights]
George Frideric Handel , Valentin Radu , Julianne Baird , Jennifer Lane , Ama Deus Ensemble , David Price , and Kevin Deas
Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Sinfonia (Orchestra)
Comfort Ye My People
Every Valley Shall Be Exalted
And The Glory Of The Lord
O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion
For Unto Us A Child Is Born
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Why Do The Nations So Furiously Rage Together
I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
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The Trumpet Shall Sound
Hallelujah

Customer Reviews:

Budget Messiah a Great Bargain.......2002-01-16

To get soprano Julianne Baird and the excellent bass Kevin Deas--two of the finest young singers on the Early Music Scene now--on a budget Messiah and get all their arias, plus some excellent choral work from this Philadelphia-based baroque group, is a fantastic Christmas gift.
Despite the occasional eccentricity of tempo and phrasing, the Romanian conductor Radu gives a lively performance in a neat space. For Ms. Baird and G.F. Handel, one expects to pay full price. This is a great find. Go for it!

Very good buy........2001-01-26

I should have known better. When my copy of this CD arrived in the mail I immediately tore off the packaging and put it in the CD player...and had to postpone the walk I was about to take because the power of the music made tears come to my eyes. It was totally involving; by the end of the Hallelujah Chorus I was exhausted! I'm not one of the experts who has fifty different copies of the Messiah, but I have heard it both recorded and live every Christmas of my life, and this one is right up there. I confess I didn't expect it to be so good, for the price. The only thing I found that I didn't like was the unusual accelerandos, which tended to appear just when I was ready to lean back into a slow section. Also, there is a very limited number of tracks compared with most Messiah Highlights CDs; but since it's half or a quarter the price, what can you expect? Overall, I think this CD is an excellent buy.

Average customer rating:

Songs of Yesterday for Today

Manufacturer: Romeo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Average customer rating:

Handel: Messiah [Highlights]
Handel , Frederick Burgomaster , Indianapolis Festival Orchestra Chamber Ensemble , and Christ Church Cathedral Choir
Manufacturer: Four Winds
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000AA4KHO
Release Date: 2005-08-09

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Chorus / And The Glory Of The Lord
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Recitative / Behold, A Virgin Shall Concieve
Air & Chorus / O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion
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Recitative / Then Shall The Eyes Of The Blind
Air / He Shall Feed His Flock
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Chorus / And With His Stripes We Are Healed
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Air / Why Do The Nations So Furiously Rage Together?
Chorus / Let Us Break Their Books Asunder
Recitative / He That Dwelleth In Heaven
Air / Thou Shalt Break Them
Chorus / Hallelujah

Average customer rating:

Handel: Messiah (Highlights)

Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006L9RR
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

Symphony (Overture)
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Choir 'O Thous That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion'
Soprano Aria 'Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter Of Zion'
Soprano And Alto Duet 'He Shall Feed His Flock'
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Choir 'Lift Up Your Heads'
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Choir 'Amen'

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