G.F. Handel : Messiah, Dublin Version, 1742 : John Butt / Dunedin Consort & Players - 2 /SuperAudioCD - 2006.

G.F. Handel : Messiah, Dublin Version, 1742 : John Butt / Dunedin Consort & Players - 2 /SuperAudioCD - 2006.
Susan Hamilton : Soprano
Annie Gill : Contralto / Mezzo Soprano
Claire Wilkinson : Contralto / Mezzo Soprano
Nicholas Mulroy : Tenor
Mathew Brook : Bass
Dunedin Cosort & Players
John Butt : Director
Recorded at Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh, UK : 01-04 May 2006

Eac / ape (img + cue).
Recovery : 3%.
Total rar size : CD / Covers / Full Booklet : 725 MB / 8 parts.
Total playing-time : CD01: 76',37" CD2: 63',28" .
Included : Full Covers, Full Booklet, CD in 300 dpi.


Reviews :
Gramophone Magazine : Awards 2007 (Click on image to enlarge)
sa-cd.net : Polly Nomial - October 10, 2007
Performance: *****
Sonics (MC): *****
This recording is as different from Handel: Messiah - Jacobs as chalk is from cheese in the approach of the respective music directors but one thing is constant - the highest level of musicianship.
There are some crucial differences of edition between the two recordings. Jacobs presents the familiar edition of the Messiah (dating from around 1750) whereas John Butt directs the "original" version, with the same texts, choral and solo numbers, orchestration (although he admits that his ideas of size of ensemble and choir are educated guesses) and use of soloists as the Dublin première of 1742. For those that are worried about missing the differences, which I shall set out below, from the usual version - fear not, for they are provided as appendices at the end of each disc. On disc 1, a recitative (of dubious authenticity) that possibly pre-dated the now more usual aria "But Who may abide" is the supplementary feature; on disc 2, the more usual recitative and aria versionof "He that dwelleth in Heaven shall laugh them to scorn" & "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron" is given to allow the listener to choose whether should be heard or the purely recitative original.
The main textual differences are that:
1) The Air "How beautiful are the feet of them: that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things." (Romans 10 : 15) and the following chorus is replaced by a duet for two altos and chorus to the words of Isaiah 52:7-9 ("How beautiful are the feet of him that bringeth glad tidings of salvation that saith unto Sion, thy God reigneth! Break forth into joy! Glad tidings thy God reigneth!")
2) The orchestral forces used here are reduced to only strings, 2 trumpets, timpani, harpsichord and organ. Most other conductors, including Jacobs, also employ 2 oboes, a bassoon and an expanded continuo ensemble.
3) The size of the strings is smaller than many (4.3.2.2.1 here compared to Jacobs' 6.5.3.3.2), as is the chorus (3.3.3.3 here instead of 11.7.7.7 for Jacobs).
Other minor changes that might surprise an unsuspecting ear are that the Airs:
1) "But who may abide" is sung by a bass not an alto (or counter-tenor for Jacobs)
2) "Thou art gone up" is sung by a bass not an alto (or counter-tenor for Jacobs)
3) "If God be for us" is sung by a contralto rather than the usual soprano (or counter-tenor for Jacobs)
As already mentioned, the performances are absolutely first rate, with no weak links anywhere, vocally or instrumentally. The fundamental difference in the performing style adopted by Butt compared to Jacobs is that this set is more traditional in the religious approach to the work. I do not mean to suggest that they treat the score as a sacred text that must be piously conveyed but that they do not seem to pretend that it is another opera (just with a religious story) in the manner that Jacobs is wont to adopt. The result is a freshness that few, if any, ensembles have managed to bring to the score. This is fundamentally helped by the smaller than usual size of the orchestra and chorus but in the more famous choruses, there is no shortage of weight thanks to the excellent long-term balancing of Butt. Tempi must be counted as near an ideal as one could ever hope to hear and all the phrasing decisions are to the support of the musical argument not its detriment. It would be invidious to single out any of the vocal soloists or instrumentalists as they are all so good but for clarity the vocal soloists are:
Susan Hamilton (soprano), Annie Gill (Contralto), Clare Wilkinson (Contralto), Nicholas Mulroy (Tenor) and Matthew Brook (Bass)
The recording is of the same high standard of the interpretation. The clarity is vividly portrayed and it is startlingly easy to locate each section of the orchestra and chorus, even in the densest moments of the score. The soloists are also well positioned - neither too prominent nor reticent. Bravo Linn - we should look forward to Bach's St Matthew Passion from the same forces that was recorded in September 2007 in the same acoustic - the clearly wonderful Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh.
Highly recommended - indeed, this version is probably the first choice for this ever popular work.


BBC music December 2006 : Nicholas Anderson
Performance : ****
Sound : ****
From the time of its first performance in Dublin in 1742, indeed even before it, Handel became accustomed to make adjustments to his oratorio, Messiah. Ever practical, he ordered different performances from different musicians for different occasions, drawing on who and what was available to him at any given time. For this reason the ‘work’ is to some extent elusive and, though there are more fixed musical entities in Messiah than typically may be found in many a baroque opera, there is no definitive version of the piece. Each of the three new recordings under discussion adheres as far as possible to a particular performance under Handel’s direction. John Butt and the Scottish-based Dunedin Consort and Players have plumped for the first Dublin performance, while Edward Higginbottom, the Choir of New College Oxford and the Academy of Ancient Music have chosen London performances of 1751 when Handel used boys’ treble voices for choruses and arias. René Jacobs, the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge and the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra by contrast have opted for the London version of 1750.
While the bulk of the score remains in place in each of the versions there are important and sometimes striking differences. These are mainly to be found in the arias ‘Rejoice greatly’, sung by a tenor (New College) as opposed to a soprano, ‘But who may abide the day of His coming’, sung by a bass (Dunedin), as opposed to a countertenor, ‘He shall feed His flock’, sung as a soprano solo (Dunedin), countertenortreble (New College), and altocountertenor (Clare College) and ‘How beautiful are the feet of them’, sung as a soprano-alto duet to a text from Isaiah (Dunedin), a treble solo to a text from Romans (New College) and a countertenor solo, once again to the Romans text (Clare College).
The three performances in their different ways are rewarding. The Dunedin artists are stylish, fresh sounding in their choral singing and often more intimate than the other two versions in their manner of communication. Susan Hamilton's solo contributions are outstanding though Matthew Brook's 'The trumpet shall sound' comes across with insufficient light and shade. This is the most softly spoken of the three recordings, further underlined by Handel's restrained scoring for strings, trumpet and drums.


More infos about Dunedin Consort & Players : Here
More infos about this album : Here


Tracklists :
CD: 1-2 : G.F. Handel : Messiah, Dublin Version, 1742 : John Butt / Dunedin Consort & Players - 2 /SuperAudioCD - 2006.
01. Sinfonia [0:03:05.25]
02. Recitative : Comfort Ye! [0:03:16.49]
03. Air : Every Valley Shall Be Exhalted [0:03:10.06]
04. Chorus : And The Glory Of The Lord [0:02:56.01]
05. Recitative : Thus Saith The Lord [0:01:17.60]
06. Air : But Who May Abide [0:03:13.24]
07. Chorus : And He Shall Purify [0:02:27.93]
08. Recitative : Behold A Virgin Shall Conceive [0:00:19.69]
09. Air : O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings [0:03:38.50]
10. Chorus : O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings [0:01:32.16]
11. Recitative : For Behold! [0:02:03.06]
12. Air : The People That Walked In Darkness [0:03:27.22]
13. Chorus : For Unto Us A Child Is Born [0:03:48.36]
14. Pifa (Pastoral Symphony) [0:02:46.57]
15. Recitative : There Were Shepherds [0:00:11.97]
16. Recitative : And Lo! [0:00:16.73]
17. Recitative : And The Angel Said Unto Them [0:00:28.25]
18. Recitative : And Suddenly [0:00:16.21]
19. Chorus : Glory To God [0:01:54.12]
20. Air : Rejoice Greatly [0:06:19.42]
21. Recitative : Then Shall The Eyes Of The Blind [0:00:23.64]
22. Air : He Shall Feed His Flock [0:05:07.45]
23. Chorus : His Yoke Is Easy [0:02:18.32]
24. Chorus : Behold The Lamb Of God [0:03:09.00]
25. Air : He Was Despised [0:11:30.20]
26. Chorus : Surely [0:01:46.68]
27. (And With His Stripes) [0:01:41.17]
28. Chorus : All We Like Sheep [0:03:42.40]
29. Recitative : But Who May Abide [0:00:27.28]


CD: 2-2 : G.F. Handel : Messiah - Dublin Dersion, 1742 : John Butt / Dunedin Consort & Players - 2 /SuperAudioCD - 2006.
01. Recitative Accomp. : All They That See Him [0:00:42.64]
02. Chorus : He Trusted In God [0:02:14.08]
03. Recitative Accomp. : Thy Rebuke [0:01:51.92]
04. Air : Behold And See [0:01:22.61]
05. Recitative Accomp : He Was Cut Off [0:00:16.49]
06. Air : But Thou Didst Not Leave [0:02:12.16]
07. Chorus : Lift Up Your Heads [0:03:06.88]
08. Recitative : Unto Which Of The Angels [0:00:17.25]
09. Chorus : Let All The Angels [0:01:26.50]
10. Air : Thou Art Gone Up [0:03:00.57]
11. Chorus : The Lord Gave The Word [0:01:07.26]
12. Soli & Chorus : How Beautiful Are The Feet [0:03:35.45]
13. Air : Why Do The Nations [0:01:27.12]
14. Chorus : Let Us Break [0:01:48.29]
15. Recitative : He That Dwelleth [0:00:21.46]
16. Chorus : Hallelujah [0:04:02.37]
17. Air : I Know That My Reddemer Liveth [0:05:11.72]
18. Soli & Chorus : Since By Man [0:02:03.64]
19. Recitative Accomp. : Behold [0:00:36.22]
20. Air : The Trumpet Shall Sound [0:08:28.25]
21. Recitative : Then Shall Be Brought [0:00:12.82]
22. Duet : O Death Where Is Thy Sting [0:00:59.73]
23. Chorus : But Thanks [0:02:07.96]
24. Air : If God Be For Us [0:04:28.97]
25. Chorus : Worthy Is The Lamb [0:03:18.48]
26. Chorus : Amen [0:04:50.21]
27. Recitative : He That Dwelleth In Heaven Shall Laugh Them To Scorn [0:00:11.29]
28. Air : Thou Shalt Break Them With A Rod Of Iron [0:02:03.82]


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