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Handel's Messiah & other Christmas music recommendations...

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Estel
Post subject: Handel's Messiah & other Christmas music recommendations...
Posted: Sun 13 Dec , 2009 5:03 pm
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I've narrowed it down to these two:

Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra with Sylvia McNair, whom I loooooove, singing.

Or this one:

Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music with Emma Kirkby, whom I more than love, singing.


On the one hand, Robert Shaw is one of my music gods, and usually a recording with him and the ASO will be the first choice for me every time. However, Emma Kirkby is also an obsession of mine.....

And, just to make it even more difficult, if I do get the Shaw, do I get the 1984 recording (as above) or the 1966 recording?

I'm not a purist, though I do enjoy 'as written' performances, so that isn't a consideration. My biggest consideration is that I don't like the Messiah to be rushed. On the other hand, I wouldn't want it to lose momentum as well.

So hard to choose :blackeye: :love: :love: :help:

Last edited by Estel on Sun 13 Dec , 2009 10:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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LalaithUrwen
Post subject: Re: Which Messiah recording?
Posted: Sun 13 Dec , 2009 5:13 pm
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Can you get both? :blackeye:

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Estel
Post subject: Re: Which Messiah recording?
Posted: Sun 13 Dec , 2009 5:14 pm
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:devil:


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Estel
Post subject: Re: Which Messiah recording?
Posted: Sun 13 Dec , 2009 5:22 pm
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Actually, it's an even easier choice than I thought. As far as I can tell, British iTunes only has the earlier Shaw available, and I do not like the soprano, so the Hogwood wins by default..... until I find the 1984 Shaw. Then I'll have to listen and compare ;)


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nienna
Post subject: Re: Which Messiah recording?
Posted: Sun 13 Dec , 2009 7:12 pm
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I love Emma Kirkby too, and especially her version of Vivaldi's "Nulla in mundo pax sincera"

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Jude
Post subject: Re: Which Messiah recording?
Posted: Sun 13 Dec , 2009 7:12 pm
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Can I complicate your life by recommending one that you didn't mention? :devil:

I have several Messiah recordings, and possibly my favourite is this one by Johanes Somary. With Alexander Young, Margaret Price ( :love: ) and Justino Diaz, it's probably the most vocally beautiful that you can find. (and look at the price! How can you go wrong with that?)

I also like this recording of the 1743 Covent Garden version with Neville Marriner. You'll be interested to hear the differences. Just in case you wanted more than one version.

Also, you might want to check out a recording of Mozart's re-orchestration. You'll be surprised how much the simple addition of clarinets makes it sound fifty years more "modern". :D

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LalaithUrwen
Post subject: Re: Which Messiah recording?
Posted: Sun 13 Dec , 2009 9:51 pm
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Well, clarinets make everything sound better. :D

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Jude
Post subject: Re: Which Messiah recording?
Posted: Sun 13 Dec , 2009 9:56 pm
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You're in good company there, since Mozart obviously agreed with you :cheers:

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Estel
Post subject: Re: Which Messiah recording?
Posted: Sun 13 Dec , 2009 10:30 pm
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I can only afford one copy right now. However, starting a collection of various recordings sounds like a really good idea. Maybe, at some point, I should get an iPod nano and devote it entirely to various recordings of Handel's Messiah.


I'm so not joking :oops:

Nienna - I looooooooooooooooove that recording to the point where I may have been known to put it on repeat every single day for over a week on multiple occasions ...even singing along when no one was around ;) :whistle:



My Christmas music at the moment consists of:

Angelic Christmas Carols - Choir of Norwich & Choir of Wells

A Baroque Christmas - Carolyn Sinclair, Michael Jarvis & The Baroque Players of Hamilton

One song from Catholic Christmas Classics - "Fum, Fum, Fum" - Richard Proulx & The Cathedral Singers

Christmas with the Tallis Scholars - Peter Phillips & The Tallis Scholars

Classic FM's "Classic Christmas" - Various Artists

Classic FM's "A Classical Christmas" - Various Artists

Ding Dong Merrily on High & 13 more favorite Christmas Classics - Various Artists

Once in Royal David's City & 12 other Favorite Carols - Various Artists

Handel's Messiah - The recording mentioned above with the Academy of Ancient Music

A Renaissance Christmas - Boston Camerata & Joel Cohen

The Spirit of Christmas - Various Artists


197 songs in total, and it's not nearly enough ;) Obviously, my preference for classical/baroque/renaissance music is rather obvious. The albums with various artists..... I, er, deleted the songs that weren't classical :P

Still looking for a great recording of "Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel" as it's my absolute favorite Christmas Carol. I've listened to about 40 samples of various artists doing it today, and was only somewhat happy with one of them. I think I'm more picky because I love the song so much. There was just nothing haunting enough.



Anyone have recommendations for albums of Christmas music? The absolute best thing about Christmas, IMO, is the music. Heck, I'll go to church at Christmas time if they've got a good choir. ;)


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Jude
Post subject: Re: Handel's Messiah & other Christmas music recommendations...
Posted: Sun 13 Dec , 2009 11:05 pm
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nienna
Post subject: Re: Handel's Messiah & other Christmas music recommendations...
Posted: Sun 13 Dec , 2009 11:22 pm
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Estel wrote:
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Anyone have recommendations for albums of Christmas music? The absolute best thing about Christmas, IMO, is the music. Heck, I'll go to church at Christmas time if they've got a good choir. ;)
How about this, from my son's very own cathedral choir (unfortunately he was still a probationer when this was recorded back in Feb this year, and wasn't allowed to sing on the recording, but his photo is still used on the back cover!!! it has been very well received, and chosen by Gramophone magazine as their top pick for Christmas!

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Herald/HAVP350

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Crucifer
Post subject: Re: Handel's Messiah & other Christmas music recommendations...
Posted: Mon 14 Dec , 2009 11:35 am
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Hmmm... I really don't like Messiah. I think that it's far too long, and so much of it is simply Handel going through the motions. That said, speculation that Handel had recently had a mental breakdown is rampant at the moment. Any of the really good stuff from Messiah is in fact re-worked from previous things he'd done. All we like sheep was originally a secular soprano duet, Glory to God is text set to a French/Italianate overture he wrote.
Aside from anything else, this is made blatantly obvious by the often hilariously bad setting of the text, and gives rise to the joke that the Hallelujah chorus was originally set to the words 'Life is but a melancholy flower'. Sing it out. ;)

The overture is incredible, I'll grant him that, but for me, that only makes the rest of the piece even worse...


Good Christmas music includes:

Britten's "Ceremony of Carols".
The soundtrack to the Snowman. (Try to get the whole thing, rather than just Walking in the air)
Leroy Anderson's Christmas Festival.
There's loads more which I can't remember, which is bizarre, seeing as I have sung at 3 Christmas concerts and have 5 more in the next week alone...

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Jude
Post subject: Re: Handel's Messiah & other Christmas music recommendations...
Posted: Mon 14 Dec , 2009 12:17 pm
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Hmm, Crucifer seems to disagree with most of the rest of the known world.

I wonder which of them is right? :P

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Crucifer
Post subject: Re: Handel's Messiah & other Christmas music recommendations...
Posted: Mon 14 Dec , 2009 12:33 pm
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But to agree with most musicologists. :p

ETA: No offence intended to anyone here, but the rest of the known world tends to go along with itself so as not to appear deviant.

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Estel
Post subject: Re: Handel's Messiah & other Christmas music recommendations...
Posted: Mon 14 Dec , 2009 1:09 pm
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I prefer to make up my own mind, rather than go with either "the rest of the world" or those supposedly "in the know."

In my mind, it's great fun to sing, it's one of those rare pieces of Christmas music where you have your choice of recordings of the best of the best performing and, like The Nutcracker, it's performed often enough at Christmas time that you can create a family tradition out of going to see it.

No offense to you Crucifer, but half the time musicologists come across as a bunch of snobs who poo-poo anything massively popular simply because it is popular. After all, if the general public like it, it can't actually be good. I've met a number of people who believe that good music requires education, taste and high class to recognize, and that if it is recognized as good by people who don't have those things, then anyone who does have those things cannot share the same opinion.

Sorry if I'm coming across harsh, but classical music snobbery is probably my biggest pet peeve. There are not enough fans of classical in the world right now. To alienate the largest proportion of those fans because their tastes are general, rather than educated, does a huge disservice to classical music as a whole, and to more specifically to small companies/choirs/orchestras/etc, who desperately need the money from those fans.

To dislike something because you dislike it is fine. To dislike it because education has told you that that is the correct opinion, or those "in the know" have said so, is not. Just like to like something because you actually like it is fine, but to like something because you've been told you should, is not.

I really do apologize if I'm coming across as overreacting. It just really gets my goat when someone basically says, well, I supposed you can like that, but really, if you had any education about it, you wouldn't. Or, if you want good Christmas music, you'll listen to this. I'll go for music recommendations any day, but I'll make up my own mind about what I think is good, thanks :)



Edit 1: One piece of Christmas music I don't like is that "Walking in the Air" song. I change the station faster when that comes on than I do when the "Go Compare" commercials come on :blackeye: :Q :suspicious: :P

Edit 2: Sorry for sounding like such a bitch :oops:


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Ara-anna
Post subject: Re: Handel's Messiah & other Christmas music recommendations...
Posted: Mon 14 Dec , 2009 2:43 pm
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The only thing and I don't know if you will like them or not...in other words I can't remember if this conversation has already happened. But I don't see TSO on there any where..

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Crucifer
Post subject: Re: Handel's Messiah & other Christmas music recommendations...
Posted: Mon 14 Dec , 2009 2:44 pm
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No worries, Estel. You're right in that musicologists have a tendency to be elitist, but I should point out that I've never liked Messiah, even before I started on a music degree. I also do enjoy singing Messiah, because it's a bit of a laugh, but I cannot consider a great piece of music, especially when compared with Handel's other works. You're also completely free to like Messiah if you like. I wasn't telling anyone what they should or shouldn't like. :)

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halplm
Post subject: Re: Handel's Messiah & other Christmas music recommendations...
Posted: Wed 16 Dec , 2009 7:05 am
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If you can find the Claremont Colleges Concert Choir's performance circa 1999, I can vouch for it's awesomeness. :)

It took a lot of work, but it was an honor to be a part of it.

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Di of Long Cleeve
Post subject: Re: Handel's Messiah & other Christmas music recommendations...
Posted: Wed 16 Dec , 2009 2:47 pm
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Estel, I love Messiah. :) :love:

I've got the recording by Harry Christopher's Sixteen and highly commend it:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Handel-Messiah- ... 169&sr=1-1

I don't know whether you're into John Rutter. I can easily overdose on Rutter, I can find him a bit too sugary, but I do love many of his carols, and his Christmas albums always include some classical/baroque/renaissance stuff. I've long loved his beautiful Christmas Night album, with the Cambridge Singers:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Night ... 367&sr=1-1

I would also recommend this lovely recording of his music by Polyphony:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Rutter-Fra ... 945&sr=1-3

Hal, it is wonderful to sing Messiah. :) The only time I did was a long time ago.

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nienna
Post subject: Re: Handel's Messiah & other Christmas music recommendations...
Posted: Wed 16 Dec , 2009 3:04 pm
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Guess where I was last summer... :D

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...although, of course, Crucifer plies his trade right next door, so he's probably sick of people talkin' about it ;)

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