# Since it's almost Christmas, your Top 3 favorite Handel Messiah Recordings.



## realdealblues

Why Three? because, I like to have at least 3 recordings of different works.
#1 - a standard Traditional Recording
#2 - a Historical/Period Instrument Performance
#3 - an Oddball/Unique Take

Andrew Davis is my Traditional Recording. I really love this one because I love the singers.









My HIP recording is actually a tie. 
I love Christopher Hogwood.








And I love Trevor Pinnock.








I honestly can't choose between these 2 recordings. They are both at the top of the Period catagory for me.

My Oddball or Unique take on the work is Leonard Bernstein. 








He did something horrific and controversial to most people. He totally changed the work around to fit an idea he had. How dare he! I not only enjoy this version but I also completely understand WHY he did it and it makes perfect sense to me. So, it always remains in my top...thr..err...four.


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## Guest

For the Messiah, I only have period performances. There are only rare exceptions where I prefer baroque music performed on modern instruments with modern practices. These are the ones at the top of my list:








William Christie's recording on HM is my hands down favorite. Christie is amazing in general, but this recording is just plain excellent.








I found this at my local library after reading good things about it on here, and found it very nice indeed. Stephen Layton and Polyphony have many wonderful recordings under their belts.








I found this recording, new and still in the wrapper, at a discount record store for only $3, so I snapped it up. This performance uses boys' voices for soprano parts, and is apparently modeled after a 1751 performance by Handel. It is not my favorite, but neither can I find any fault with it, and it is in my top 3 recordings.

There is also a thread here that goes into detail about numerous Messiah recordings.


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## realdealblues

I haven't heard any of those recordings DrMike. I'll have to check them out.

I believe I have seen that thread also. There is a ridiculous amount of Messiah recordings out there and I've probably only heard a dozen. My favorites will probably still be the same ones I listen to 20 years from now if I'm still breathing, but it's always interesting to see other posts. The Naxos recording you mentioned is "different" which peaks my interest.


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## Guest

The Pinnock Messiah was the first I ever owned. I have a few others as well that rarely get listened to: Martin Pearlman/Boston Baroque; Nikolaus Harnoncourt/Concentus Musicus Wien; John Eliot Gardiner/English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir; Marriner/Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. None of these are bad, but I just prefer the ones I have already mentioned.


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## realdealblues

I also have the Harnoncourt, Gardiner & Marriner.

I agree nothing really wrong with them, just comes down to preference. I also have McCreesh, Mackerras (74) & Colin Davis.

I just picked up this one for $5:









I love Mozart and I like Mackerras's 74 recording with the Mozart arrangement, so I'm really interested to hear this later recording from 1988. I've only heard a few pieces from it and it seems to have a much quicker tempo so I'm really looking forward to checking it out. It will go in my Oddball/Unique section.


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## bigshot

Beecham is all I need. I have a bunch of other ones, including period ones, but I never listen to them. Beecham wipes the floor with this one.


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## realdealblues

I haven't heard the Beecham recording either. I just read a little about it, and it has a pretty interesting history. I'll have to check that one out too.


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## SixFootScowl

realdealblues said:


> I haven't heard the Beecham recording either. I just read a little about it, and it has a pretty interesting history. I'll have to check that one out too.


Well I listened to the Beecham recording once, and will never do it again. As I recall, it was rather intense and overdone. Just my opinion, but a review says it is



> ...guaranteed to offend HIP purists.


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## peteAllen

I have a few recordings, but Solti's version always feels like coming home again:


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## Pugg

peteAllen said:


> I have a few recordings, but Solti's version always feels like coming home again:
> View attachment 90532


Te Kanawa is outstanding on this recording.


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## Guest

Not everyone's choice but I like the moderate tempi of this recording and of course great singing.
Surely ,this is not a performance to be judged in fragments,it will come off badly.









Cleobury did a fine job on this one ,very refined and beautiful.The Brandenburg consort,Roy Goodman









For nostalgic reasons this one,still very attractive.


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## Animal the Drummer

I was at school with Stephen Cleobury and he was a fine musician even then.

As far as Beecham's version is concerned, purists may disapprove and may ostensibly have good reason to do so, but there is a _joie de vivre_ about that recording which IMHO makes listening to it a worthwhile experience even if (as is clearly the case) it's far from the last word on this wonderful music.


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## realdealblues

Another Zombie Thread of mine returns from the dead. It's interesting to see how 4 years makes a difference.

I tried probably 20-30 different Messiah's since then. These days I only listen to two...

Colin Davis's 1966 recording with the London Symphony Orchestra

View attachment 90640


Otto Klemperer's 1964 recording with the Philharmonia Orchestra

View attachment 90641


All my needs are satisfied with those two.


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## Brahmsianhorn

Have you heard Malcolm Sargent's 1946 recording? (not to be confused with the later one on Classics for Pleasure) To me this was like hearing the piece for the first time. The artists perform with a singular devotion and commitment, and the sound on Dutton is very clear for its age. Otherwise I also like Pinnock. Those are my two.

https://www.amazon.com/Messiah-Handel/dp/B000009M7Z


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## SixFootScowl

#1 - a standard Traditional Recording (hopefully I am not miscategorizing, but not sure what traditional means)









#2 - a Historical/Period Instrument Performance









#3 - an Oddball/Unique Take


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