[Varick]

Karl Richter and John Alldis are my 2 favorites. I only listened to it once so far, but I was underwhelmed by Klemperer's version. I usually regard Otto's sacred works in the top echelon. Perhaps a few more listens will yield more.

V

 

[Marc]

In 'chronological' order... I love them all.

Colin Davis's 1st Philips recording (1966)

Christopher Hogwood (1980)

Ton Koopman (1983, live)

Trevor Pinnock (1988)

William Christie (1994)

Frieder Bernius (2009)

 

[wkasimer]

I only listened to it once so far, but I was underwhelmed by Klemperer's version. I usually regard Otto's sacred works in the top echelon. Perhaps a few more listens will yield more.

Maybe not. Here's what I wrote about it a few years ago on an Amazon review:

"This is a very dark and serious recording of this work. The tempi are a little slower than I'd like, but are not really excessive. The chorus is fine, but the soloists are a pretty unimpressive lot, despite the names. I like Grace Hoffman best of the four - the voice is a bit over-vibrant for this music, but at least her English is idiomatic. So is Jerome Hines', but his delivery is stiff and metronomic. Gedda is simply out of his element here - the voice is nasal in quality and his English sounds phonetic. Schwarzkopf's a little better in that respect, but I simply can't stand the sound of her voice."

 

[marlow]

Maybe not. Here's what I wrote about it a few years ago on an Amazon review:

"This is a very dark and serious recording of this work. The tempi are a little slower than I'd like, but are not really excessive. The chorus is fine, but the soloists are a pretty unimpressive lot, despite the names. I like Grace Hoffman best of the four - the voice is a bit over-vibrant for this music, but at least her English is idiomatic. So is Jerome Hines', but his delivery is stiff and metronomic. Gedda is simply out of his element here - the voice is nasal in quality and his English sounds phonetic. Schwarzkopf's a little better in that respect, but I simply can't stand the sound of her voice."

Weighted down with Klemperer's leaden tempi, the whole thing sounds a museum piece. Best it stays there is a relic of a bygone age. If you want an all bells and whistles approach go to Beecham - at least that is fun!

 

[MAS]

My first choice is the Stephen Cleobury 1994 recording with the Choir of King’s College Cambridge, though I can also appreciate the monumental Beecham, full of excesses. The Pinnock is another favorite for Arleen Auger’s superb assumption and all-around excellence, and the Andrew Davis for Kathleen Battle’s angelic sounds.

 

[Monsalvat]

I listened to Karl Richter's 1972 recording with the London Philharmonic (in English) this afternoon. The 1964 recording with Richter's own Münchener Bach-Orchester und Chor is sung in German, as others have noted here. It's a monumental-sounding recording; I'm not a huge Messiah fan but I imagine that this is a different direction than a historically-informed interpretation would choose to pursue. The 1964 recording looks better on paper but I haven't heard it; the fact that it is performed in translation might ruffle some feathers, too.

 

[SixFootScowl]

Just listened to this one today, like it a lot. The operatic voices are wonderful.

 

[sAmUiLc]

Solti with Chicago SO on Decca. Solti's unique energy makes this recording surprisingly great. The result is right blend of HIP and traditional approaches.

 

[wkasimer]

I listened to Karl Richter's 1972 recording with the London Philharmonic (in English) this afternoon. The 1964 recording with Richter's own Münchener Bach-Orchester und Chor is sung in German, as others have noted here. It's a monumental-sounding recording; I'm not a huge Messiah fan but I imagine that this is a different direction than a historically-informed interpretation would choose to pursue. The 1964 recording looks better on paper but I haven't heard it; the fact that it is performed in translation might ruffle some feathers, too.

Crass is fabulous on the German Richter recording. The language doesn't bother me; one of my favorites is this one, currently selling for virtually nothing on US Amazon:

 

[Kreisler jr]

The language might be more bothersome when one is German. There are several translations but the ones I heard are usually slightly confusing to me because of translation and singability they are different from the "standard" (i.e. usually Luther-based) bible verses. I also got to know the piece in English, so it just feels odd to me in German.
Crass and Janowitz are good, I was not so impressed with the other soloists in the German language Richter and I found the whole thing rather four square and often boringly conducted. It's also slightly abridged (some lesser known arias in part 2 and 3 are cut, I believe, probably to get the whole comfortably onto 3 LPs) but still spread over 3 CDs in the recording I had.

 

[Enthusiast]

There are a few Messiahs that I like a lot, most of them HIP (I am generally OK with some non-HIP Baroque but not really in the Messiah). I'll choose Harnoncourt's second recording with Christine Schafer, Anna Larsson, Michael Schade and Gerald Finley. I don't know why but I haven't heard his first recording. McCreesh is also a good one.

 

[Kreisler jr]

McCreesh is a very good and fairly "safe" choice of still "up to date" (late 1990s) HIP with excellent soloists. The first Harnoncourt (1980s with the Ericson choir) is interesting but not a safe choice at all There are Harnoncourtisms all over the place, at least two of the soloists are not idiomatically pronouncing English (but Lipovsek is quite impressive nevertheless). I'd recommend this one maybe as a third or fourth choice for listeners who want something different.

 

[marlow]

Try Emmanuelle Harm’s version. Superb soloists.

Of course it’s impossible to give a ‘definite’ version as Handel didn’t have one!

 

[eljr]

• Release Date: 28th Oct 2016
• Catalogue No: CHSA5176
• Label: Chandos
• Length: 1 hour 54 minutes

• 
  Presto Recording of the Week
  2nd December 2016
• 
  BBC Music Magazine
  January 2017
  Choral & Song Choice
• 
  Presto Recordings of the Year
  Finalist 2016
• 
  Grammy Awards
  60th Awards (2017)
  Nominee - Choral Performance