Handel: Messiah

This is a very good recording. The sound is a bit less opulent than that of Ormandy's--but that disc has benefited from remastering. There is plenty of "oomph" in some of the choruses (e.g., "Hallelujah" and "Worthy is the Lamb") and delicacy (not something I automatically expect from Solti) in others (e.g. "And He shall purify"). "All we like sheep" is almost playful. Among the soloists, Keith Lewis and Dame Kiri take the honors. Gwynne Howell lacks the vigor of William Warfield, but he grows on the hearer as the oratorio proceeds. To my ear, Anne Gjevang sounds thick and heavy (I much prefer Michael Chance and Anne Sofie von Otter); but she and Lewis do very well with "O death, where is thy sting?" There is nothing boring about this performance, and it invites the hearer to listen differently to some numbers.

A choral masterpiece. Longevity unparalleled. Darn good performance, and an excellent recording. An excellent addition to any classical collection

Solti's late recordings with the Chicago Symphony truly amazes me. Where so many aging performers settle back into a well-worn groove, Solti ventured forth with his symphony to explore composers he wasn't often associated with (Shostakovich and Bach just to name two). Critics were amazed that the conductor tackled Shostakovich's difficult oeurve, not a composer one would think Solti had an affinity for, but listen to his recording of the 8th Symphony  Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 ~ Solti , and see what you think. And where many older conductors, like Bernstein, decide that performances that move at a glacier pace must be more profound and soul-searching; not so with Solti. His later recordings continued to be punchy, vibrant, often making a nod to historical performance tradition (just a "nod", not a convert). The more interesting, and I think, more impressive recordings are Solti's venture in the High Baroque with this magnificent Messiah and Bach's B Minor  Bach - Mass in B minor / Lott, von Otter, Blochwitz, Shimell, Howell, Chicago SO, Solti  and St Matthew Passion  Bach: Matthäus-Passion (St. Matthew's Passion) / Sir Georg Solti .I see this Handel recording and the two Bach Sacred works as a sort of "trinity" for the conductor--- a summation and culmination of a life's work that demonstrated so effectively Solti's love of opera. If you want a "complete" (whatever that means anymore) "Messiah", beautifully performed by all, then this is recording is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I bought this to replace the one I lost/misplaced. This is a fabulous recording, beautiful in every way. I listen to it each year when I bake special cookies during the Christmas season.

The cds came filthy with some kind of scum on it. I washed most of it off but it ruined the cds so that I can hear a loud clicking noise when I play it. I just threw them away.

Friends of ours treated us to the performance of the Messiah at the Nashville Symphony two weeks before Christmas. We discovered that they did not have a copy for their own enjoyment, so it made the perfect "Thank You" gift. We chose this particular selection because they spent years in Chicago, and had season tickets at the time that Sir Georg Solti was the conductor. So it was the right conductor with the right performance. Every time they listen to it they will be reminded of their time in Chicago and the evening we all enjoyed together.

Solti's Messiah is very good, and supported by the greatest orchestra in the world. It is as good or better than any other recording. So just get it, if you don't have it already. You'll be pleased.

Like the conductor and orchestra

Excellent seller, excellent product

good

good

Großartige Solisten, toller Chor und englisch gesungen - vom Besonderen das Beste. Das Booklet hilft beim Verstehen. Zum Immer-Wieder-Hören !

合唱が細かなニュアンス豊かで素晴らしいです。オーケストラもアンサンブル重視で大変素晴らしいです。