Messiah is one of the masterpieces of the Choral repertoire and most likely the greatest oratorio ever written(Mendelssohn's Elijah comes close though). This performance is brilliant and is a must-see/hear, the Stephen Cleobury and Neville Marriner versions are very good too but the best performance on DVD goes to this one. The videography admittedly is not as good as the performance, ranging from acceptable to strange. It is of sharp and fluid quality, is very accommodating to Carolyn Watkinson and it was a good to use side shots for The Trumpet Shall Sound. The oddities are mainly the lack of reacknowledgment generally for the instruments(for instance we hear the lower strings but never see them) and for the entire trumpet introduction of The Trumpet Shall Sound where it is not easy to determine which position the trumpet is playing from. This however doesn't detract too much from the quality of the performance. The sound is very good throughout, and the venue is one that suits the instrumentalists and soloists. It is also a very authentic performance with the orchestra and chorus a small number and the use of period instruments(woodwind made of wood and no valves for brass). The orchestra are very well together and play with power and depth as well as pure lightness and energy. The trumpet solo is beautifully played indeed. That is the same also with the chorus, particularly good were the flexibility and ethereal top notes of the boy trebles. Christopher Hogwood conducts with flawless pacing(even He Was Despised was at a good tempo) and a real understanding of the baroque style. The soloists are of a very high quality too, especially Carolyn Watinkson whose rich beauty of tone, emotional intensity and her connection with what she's singing about are to be admired here. He Was Despised was incredibly moving. Emma Kirkby sings with her usual brightness and purity as well as silky phrasing, her And Who May Abide is one of the high points of the performance. Judith Nelson has a richer voice than Kirkby's but her vibrato is thankfully not obsessive and she is a good contrast. Having two soprano soloists was a good decision, though some may not agree. David Thomas' voice is lighter than most basses singing the role and that's a good thing actually, the voice still has depth and resonance and Hogwood takes care to not let the orchestra drown him out and the diction and runs crystal clear, something you don't always find with basses singing The Messiah. Paul Elliot doesn't quite leave as much an impression, his voice is also of light, and pleasant, quality and is not quite as expressive tone-wise, but he is still well suited to baroque oratorios and has a feeling for the style. In short the singing is of few complaints and everybody seems to be very involved in the drama of the music. To conclude, the videography is only acceptable at best but the performance itself is brilliant and not just the best Messiah on DVD but one of the best of any media full stop. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox
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