Thread: Mendelssohn Elijah

Originally Posted by Star

Can't understand why anyone from an English speaking country would want Elijah in German. The original performance was in English after all. To me the best modern recording is by McCreesh - large choir / original instruments. Sargent is far too plush imo

I'll take a better performance (well one I like better) in German, French, Italian or Russian over a performance I don't like as much in English. I'm not a fan of McCreesh's Creation or Seasons- I just find the tempos too slow and the dynamics subdued. I also have a hard time understanding what the soloists are even singing when they are signing in English. I remember buying the Goodall Ring and I hated it because the tempos were too damn slow, but I also found I couldn't understand what they were singing anyway.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Herreweghe recording of Elias.

Originally Posted by gellio

Do you actually understand what they are saying? I bought McCreesh's Creation and although English is my native tongue I can't understand a word they are saying, so I mine as well listening to the German recordings, which I like better.

Not completely, but I catch enough of the English that it can help me keep track of where I am in the oratorio.

Now Handel's Messiah is another story. I know it so well that I don't even need to hear much of the words. I can listen to a German language production and know the English in my head from the music that is associated with it.

Originally Posted by SixFootScowl

Not completely, but I catch enough of the English that it can help me keep track of where I am in the oratorio.

Now Handel's Messiah is another story. I know it so well that I don't even need to hear much of the words. I can listen to a German language production and know the English in my head from the music that is associated with it.

I'm desperate for new music and I think I seriously have recordings of everything I want.

Originally Posted by gellio

I'm desperate for new music and I think I seriously have recordings of everything I want.

I know the feeling. I have bought a lot of stuff I don't need, but some of the fun is in searching it out and finding a deal, then hitting buy. Hey, have you tried Haydn's Creation? I think that comes in both English and German. But I go off topic.

Originally Posted by SixFootScowl

I know the feeling. I have bought a lot of stuff I don't need, but some of the fun is in searching it out and finding a deal, then hitting buy. Hey, have you tried Haydn's Creation? I think that comes in both English and German. But I go off topic.

The Creation is one of my favorite works. I love it. One of my top 10 works for sure.