# Messiah: Best bass soloists?



## VanCrusty

I own close to twenty recordings of Handel: Messiah and my favorite bass soloist among them is Bryn Terfel, by a long shot. I would like to hear which bass soloists (Messiah only in this case) that you all enjoy listening to.


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## SixFootScowl

I like all the soloists in the Dunedin Consort's Dublin version Messiah. You can check out bass-baritone, Matthew Brook, in Thus Saith the Lord, in this short sample of track clips (scroll down to lower right).


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## VanCrusty

Florestan said:


> I like all the soloists in the Dunedin Consort's Dublin version Messiah. You can check out bass-baritone, Matthew Brook, in Thus Saith the Lord, in this short sample of track clips (scroll down to lower right).


Yes, I own that album also and it is beautiful. Matthew Brook is quite good, but still isn't at the level of Bryn Terfel in my opinion.


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## DavidA

John Tomlinson on Pinnock's version is great. A real bass!


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## BaritoneAssoluto

Jerome Hines. Magnificent stentorian voice that not only understood the text but because he was a Christian, understood it spiritually and you get it through each and every word he speaks of.


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## Pugg

Giorgio Tozzi on the Beecham recording.


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## VanCrusty

Pugg said:


> Giorgio Tozzi on the Beecham recording.


I do not own the Beecham album yet. Most of the Messiah recordings I own are small groups with quicker tempos, with the exception of Robert Shaw and maybe one or two others.


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## VanCrusty

BaritoneAssoluto said:


> Jerome Hines. Magnificent stentorian voice that not only understood the text but because he was a Christian, understood it spiritually and you get it through each and every word he speaks of.


None of my Messiah recordings have him as bass soloist but I found him on Youtube...lovely.


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## SixFootScowl

VanCrusty said:


> I do not own the Beecham album yet. Most of the Messiah recordings I own are small groups with quicker tempos, with the exception of Robert Shaw and maybe one or two others.


I recall there was something wrong with the Beecham Messiah, perhaps that he had reorchestrated it. I listened to it once and thought it an atrocity. Was rather bombastic.


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## Pugg

Florestan said:


> I recall there was something wrong with the Beecham Messiah, perhaps that he had reorchestrated it. I listened to it once and thought it an atrocity. Was rather bombastic.


It's highlights only .


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## Reichstag aus LICHT

I'm with VanCrusty in voting for Terfel. His singing is nuanced and sensitive to the text, and technically very impressive. I don't think there's a more incisive or cleanly-sung _Why do the Nations_ on record.


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## SixFootScowl

How about Matthew Rose:


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## SixFootScowl

Have you tried the bass in Westenburg's Messiah?


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## Bellinilover

Samuel Ramey's "And the Trumpet Shall Sound" is by now the stuff of legend, I think:


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## Pugg

May I add a new voice : The trumpet shall sound", *Philippe Sly *


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## M Palmer

Alastair Miles!


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## Poodle

M Palmer said:


> Alastair Miles!


Plain and simple :tiphat:


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## SixFootScowl

> Alastair Miles!





Poodle said:


> Plain and simple :tiphat:


I don't need another Messiah set, but then I have to check out this Miles' singing so maybe...


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## Pugg

Florestan said:


> I don't need another Messiah set, but then I have to check out this Miles' singing so maybe...


Specially for you:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/ad...erformer=Alastair+Miles&medium=CD&label=&cat=


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## davidpneff

Pugg said:


> May I add a new voice : The trumpet shall sound", *Philippe Sly *


This by FAR is my favorite performance of that particular Aria.


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## Pugg

davidpneff said:


> This by FAR is my favorite performance of that particular Aria.


He's got a marvellous voice, don't you think?


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## sospiro

Pugg said:


> May I add a new voice : The trumpet shall sound", *Philippe Sly *


Wow!! What a fabulous voice, thank you.

I only have one _Messiah_ on my mp3 and can't remember who it is or where it came from. I need to rectify that!


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## M Palmer

Wonderful tone. Not a fan of the swooping though.


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## Pugg

M Palmer said:


> Wonderful tone. Not a fan of the swooping though.


So many people so many different taste.


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## SixFootScowl

Check out Nathan Berg--track 5 and others here:
http://www.allmusic.com/album/georg-friedrich-haendel-messiah-mw0001798627


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## Pugg

Florestan said:


> Check out Nathan Berg--track 5 and others here:
> http://www.allmusic.com/album/georg-friedrich-haendel-messiah-mw0001798627


Nice voice, not really a Herreweghe fan though .


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## SixFootScowl

Pugg said:


> Nice voice, not really a Herreweghe fan though .


But this one is not Herreweghe. It is William Christie.


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## SixFootScowl

Try James Oldfield in the clips from this album:


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## pcnog11

Pugg said:


> May I add a new voice : The trumpet shall sound", *Philippe Sly *


Very deep and powerful! Good stuff.


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## pcnog11

Who is this soloist?


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## SixFootScowl

Pugg said:


> May I add a new voice : The trumpet shall sound", *Philippe Sly *


Yes, an awesome voice. He sang in the Messiah I attended earlier this month at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was awesome. Definitely the highlight of the evening.


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## Josquin13

I have two favorites: bass Gwynne Howell on Sir Neville Marriner's old Argo recording of Messiah: 



and bass Neal Davies on Paul McCreesh's Archiv recording:


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## Open Book

pcnog11 said:


> Who is this soloist?


His name is listed, it's Dashon Burton. But you really wanted a discussion, didn't you?






Every time I play the Philippe Sly version on Youtube this video of the same excerpt with Burton automatically plays after it. Looks like the same orchestra and chorus, different year, different soloists.

Which is unfortunate for Sly because Burton is superior. One of the best I've ever heard.


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