This is just after the 2 ww and I was 11years old and came from Huddersfield, I was taken to the first Messiah concert after the war. This had a profound effect on me for the res of my life, to say the music transported me is an understatement and it as lived with me always. What a choir, I'm proud !!!
It is really nice to be able to hear albums I would never be able to afford to buy, especially on original label. I appreciate the records you place on RUclips. I was perusing The Billboard Classical albums charts online today from the year 1951 and ran into this on the last chart of the year. It's great to be able to just look it up on RUclips and there it is. The chart from 1951 listed the 33 1/3 catalog number, but it's even better to hear it from the original 78s. Thank you!
In 1949 my father bought a Philco gramophone and radio set. It came with a great novelty: the first 33 rpm long playing records, in this case a generous sample of many outstanding classical works, and that included this very same version of Messiah. To say that I knew the work backwards in those years would be an understatement, as the poor Messiah set was played hundreds of times. Now so many years later I am able to listen again to this great version, maybe not to the purist liking and certainly very limited in its audio quality, but sincere and straightforward, with wonderful choir and orchestra. This encounter has been for me a most moving experience.
Jose, I, too, grew up with this Messiah as my first exposure to the work, in the 1970s. I've since heard many other performances and recordings, but Sargent's holds up well, doesn't it? The performance is heartfelt throughout.
I love it slow and majestic. Some renditions these days are too fast and choppy. My favorite is the Readers Digest Messiah, I grew up with that and still have the album from the 60s or 70s
My mother had bought the same set- all 78's- way back in the late 50's- early 60's, and I remember playing them many times over on my old Dynavox stereo, complete with Sylvania electronic tubes. I thoroughly enjoyed holding these heavy, cumbersome "Columbia Masterworks" discs, but since they were recorded in the late 1940's, the lamination on them were superb, and projected little to no surface noise. Soon, I made it a habit of playing only my absolute favorite sides whenever I wanted, since there were so many of them and Christmas was never a prerequisite. The sound dynamics offered in this recording are ironically, not as Handel had intended them to be. This Oratorio was composed in the mid 18th Century, during the time of lighter "Chamber Music", but this interpretation- with its dramatic choir, thundering instrumentation and vast acoustics- deliver a sound quality that appears to leap right out of the Romantic Era a hundred years later- rendering much of the piece too deep and heavy in its tonalities. However, the four soloists are superb, particularly Gladys Ripley, who was a contemporary of Kathleen Ferrier. In all, a gorgeous effort, and an excellent upload. Many thanks.
Le Messie de Haendel ainsi interprété lui aurait surement bien plu, car au delà des accents italiens qui constellent ses partitions, il était anglophile au point d' y passer sa vie et s' y être fait naturalisé; L' Europe avant l' heure et de la plus belle manière ! les voix ici, sont incarnées, toutes ont un sens, une personnalité véritable et unique, résultat d' un travail à chacun différent, tel que l' on pouvait l' entendre à cette époque. J' apprécie personnellement , tout comme vous puisque vous postez ce chef d' oeuvre, l' âme qui habite ces chanteurs des années 40 entres autres. Malcom Sargent à beaucoup fait pour la musique, avec ce qui est nécessaire pour porter de telles oeuvres, l' humilité et la sensibilité. L' ensemble manque parfois de rigueur, du moins, on peu regretter ce manque de rigueur, 1946...au sortir de la guerre, ( on peut aisément le comprendre)....mais tant est bien mieux exprimé sur tous les autres registres. La contralto Gladys Repley (1908-1955) ,est magnifiquement humaine, sans pour cela être puissante, et sans pouvoir être comparé à d' autres anglaises comme Astra Desmond, elle développe un charme merveilleux et personnel qui ne peut laisser indifférent, elle attire la sympathie l' affection. Le plus tragique, fût son décès beaucoup trop précoce, dû à un cancer, ...elle aussi. Isobel Baillie (1995; 1983) dans sa fragilité identitaire nous émeut aux larmes , comme le dit l' expression britannique...."She moves us to tears" une immense Dame du chant, qui fit aussi un travail remarquable auprès de notre bien aimée Kathleen Ferrier ( qui porte encore de nos jours l' image de l' âme Britannique à elle seule !), dans ces années, aussi en duo, remarquable, sans égal. Le coeur avant la voix, l' âme avant la technique, ces artistes étaient " au coeur" même du secret de la filiation artistique, la parenté artistique, l' être avant le faire...toute une époque.. nos maîtres L' Angleterre était en ce temps très prolifique en chanteurs de grande qualité, et toujours avec cette spécificité tendre et fragile. Les biographies et "carnets " de certains "conductors" et artistes d' exception racontent parfaitement cette grande famille du chant " entre deux époque", qui restera d' ailleurs unique pour cela; Avant la fin des années trente, ce n' était pas, après les années 50, ce n' était plus,...du moins ce fût autre. Mon goût, me guide sans faille vers ces années qui ont vu fleurir des êtres dont l' honnêteté intellectuelle était première, celle que l' on retrouve chez le "compagnon artisan", un code une éthique, une devise, une foi. Chacun aidait son prochain, accompagnait amenait vers, ( rappelez vous Roy Henderson) et ce n' est pas faire poème que de dire cela, car ce fût la réalité tangible de l' Angleterre de Henry Would, et de Malccom Sargent. Allons donc, petit dictionnaire en main nous instruire sur le quotidien, le mérite britannique de l' époque, qui essaima dans le monde un visage enthousiaste et méritant qui reflétait le comportement de toute une nation. Je vous invite auditeurs de ces belles pages de l' histoire, (car cela dépasse de loin l' idée que l' on s' en fait de nos jours), à lire dans la Langue d' origine, la vie des artistes que vous écoutez, aimez et aimerez de plus en plus, car ceux là dépassent les modes et les courants imposés. Cette version est donc un véritable trésor, et la chaleur de l' enregistrement est surprenante , (alliant une certaine candeur bénie de chaque soliste), un bel enregistrement éternel à faire écouter aux jeunes gens, un aboutissement en soi-même, un véritable témoignage. Christian Guignard.
Thank you, I totally agree with your assessment of this work and the joining of soul and artist and national culture. I owned this set in 78s and sadly had to part with it, and was thrilled to find it here. I'll never forget the first time I heard Gladys Ripley's voice, such utter sincerity and truth in her singing, regardless of the faults one might find with the technique, it doesn't matter, what she does with her voice in terms of truth is superior. I thought I would never hear this again, and behold, a little Christmas miracle.
Is this from an lp or a 78rpm set? I think I know the answer but just want to verify it. Thanks for this upload! Sargent also recorded this for Angel Records in the 1960's. I would love to find it on RUclips!
Yes. this upload comes from the original monophonic 78 RPMs of 1946, Columbia Masterworks. By 1951, the discs had been transferred to the first LPs- "Microgroove", 33 & 1/3 RPM.
The first rendition of Messiah I remember hearing as a child, and it remains my favourite. The music actually sounds superb at this tempo. Contemplative. Regal. Stately.
This reading of the Messiah is the best ever: Sargent's life work was to honor this great work.
This is just after the 2 ww and I was 11years old and came from Huddersfield, I was taken to the first Messiah concert after the war. This had a profound effect on me for the res of my life, to say the music transported me is an understatement and it as lived with me always. What a choir, I'm proud !!!
We had the LP, and coming from Liverpool, I had the affinity with the orchestra. I have always preferred the slow smooth arrangement.
It is really nice to be able to hear albums I would never be able to afford to buy, especially on original label. I appreciate the records you place on RUclips. I was perusing The Billboard Classical albums charts online today from the year 1951 and ran into this on the last chart of the year. It's great to be able to just look it up on RUclips and there it is. The chart from 1951 listed the 33 1/3 catalog number, but it's even better to hear it from the original 78s. Thank you!
Even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
In 1949 my father bought a Philco gramophone and radio set. It came with a great novelty: the first 33 rpm long playing records, in this case a generous sample of many outstanding classical works, and that included this very same version of Messiah. To say that I knew the work backwards in those years would be an understatement, as the poor Messiah set was played hundreds of times. Now so many years later I am able to listen again to this great version, maybe not to the purist liking and certainly very limited in its audio quality, but sincere and straightforward, with wonderful choir and orchestra. This encounter has been for me a most moving experience.
Jose, I, too, grew up with this Messiah as my first exposure to the work, in the 1970s. I've since heard many other performances and recordings, but Sargent's holds up well, doesn't it? The performance is heartfelt throughout.
I love it slow and majestic. Some renditions these days are too fast and choppy. My favorite is the Readers Digest Messiah, I grew up with that and still have the album from the 60s or 70s
I agree with you about the tempi. Who performs on the RD version? Or are they all different performers?
I also grew up with the box set of Handel's Messiah from Readers Diigest I gave it to my daughter some years ago and now have CDs of Handel's Messiah
My mother had bought the same set- all 78's- way back in the late 50's- early 60's, and I remember playing them many times over on my old Dynavox stereo, complete with Sylvania electronic tubes. I thoroughly enjoyed holding these heavy, cumbersome "Columbia Masterworks" discs, but since they were recorded in the late 1940's, the lamination on them were superb, and projected little to no surface noise. Soon, I made it a habit of playing only my absolute favorite sides whenever I wanted, since there were so many of them and Christmas was never a prerequisite. The sound dynamics offered in this recording are ironically, not as Handel had intended them to be. This Oratorio was composed in the mid 18th Century, during the time of lighter "Chamber Music", but this interpretation- with its dramatic choir, thundering instrumentation and vast acoustics- deliver a sound quality that appears to leap right out of the Romantic Era a hundred years later- rendering much of the piece too deep and heavy in its tonalities. However, the four soloists are superb, particularly Gladys Ripley, who was a contemporary of Kathleen Ferrier. In all, a gorgeous effort, and an excellent upload. Many thanks.
Thank you for your excellent interesting & informative reply!
Le Messie de Haendel ainsi interprété lui aurait surement bien plu, car au delà des accents italiens qui constellent ses partitions, il était anglophile au point d' y passer sa vie et s' y être fait naturalisé; L' Europe avant l' heure et de la plus belle manière !
les voix ici, sont incarnées, toutes ont un sens, une personnalité véritable et unique, résultat d' un travail à chacun différent, tel que l' on pouvait l' entendre à cette époque. J' apprécie personnellement , tout comme vous puisque vous postez ce chef d' oeuvre, l' âme qui habite ces chanteurs des années 40 entres autres. Malcom Sargent à beaucoup fait pour la musique, avec ce qui est nécessaire pour porter de telles oeuvres, l' humilité et la sensibilité. L' ensemble manque parfois de rigueur, du moins, on peu regretter ce manque de rigueur, 1946...au sortir de la guerre, ( on peut aisément le comprendre)....mais tant est bien mieux exprimé sur tous les autres registres. La contralto Gladys Repley (1908-1955) ,est magnifiquement humaine, sans pour cela être puissante, et sans pouvoir être comparé à d' autres anglaises comme Astra Desmond, elle développe un charme merveilleux et personnel qui ne peut laisser indifférent, elle attire la sympathie l' affection. Le plus tragique, fût son décès beaucoup trop précoce, dû à un cancer, ...elle aussi.
Isobel Baillie (1995; 1983) dans sa fragilité identitaire nous émeut aux larmes , comme le dit l' expression britannique...."She moves us to tears" une immense Dame du chant, qui fit aussi un travail remarquable auprès de notre bien aimée Kathleen Ferrier ( qui porte encore de nos jours l' image de l' âme Britannique à elle seule !), dans ces années, aussi en duo, remarquable, sans égal. Le coeur avant la voix, l' âme avant la technique, ces artistes étaient " au coeur" même du secret de la filiation artistique, la parenté artistique, l' être avant le faire...toute une époque.. nos maîtres
L' Angleterre était en ce temps très prolifique en chanteurs de grande qualité, et toujours avec cette spécificité tendre et fragile. Les biographies et "carnets " de certains "conductors" et artistes d' exception racontent parfaitement cette grande famille du chant " entre deux époque", qui restera d' ailleurs unique pour cela;
Avant la fin des années trente, ce n' était pas, après les années 50, ce n' était plus,...du moins ce fût autre. Mon goût, me guide sans faille vers ces années qui ont vu fleurir des êtres dont l' honnêteté intellectuelle était première, celle que l' on retrouve chez le "compagnon artisan", un code une éthique, une devise, une foi. Chacun aidait son prochain, accompagnait amenait vers, ( rappelez vous Roy Henderson) et ce n' est pas faire poème que de dire cela, car ce fût la réalité tangible de l' Angleterre de Henry Would, et de Malccom Sargent. Allons donc, petit dictionnaire en main nous instruire sur le quotidien, le mérite britannique de l' époque, qui essaima dans le monde un visage enthousiaste et méritant qui reflétait le comportement de toute une nation. Je vous invite auditeurs de ces belles pages de l' histoire, (car cela dépasse de loin l' idée que l' on s' en fait de nos jours), à lire dans la Langue d' origine, la vie des artistes que vous écoutez, aimez et aimerez de plus en plus, car ceux là dépassent les modes et les courants imposés. Cette version est donc un véritable trésor, et la chaleur de l' enregistrement est surprenante , (alliant une certaine candeur bénie de chaque soliste), un bel enregistrement éternel à faire écouter aux jeunes gens, un aboutissement en soi-même, un véritable témoignage.
Christian Guignard.
Thank you, I totally agree with your assessment of this work and the joining of soul and artist and national culture. I owned this set in 78s and sadly had to part with it, and was thrilled to find it here. I'll never forget the first time I heard Gladys Ripley's voice, such utter sincerity and truth in her singing, regardless of the faults one might find with the technique, it doesn't matter, what she does with her voice in terms of truth is superior. I thought I would never hear this again, and behold, a little Christmas miracle.
Is this from an lp or a 78rpm set? I think I know the answer but just want to verify it. Thanks for this upload! Sargent also recorded this for Angel Records in the 1960's. I would love to find it on RUclips!
Yes. this upload comes from the original monophonic 78 RPMs of 1946, Columbia Masterworks. By 1951, the discs had been transferred to the first LPs- "Microgroove", 33 & 1/3 RPM.
Tenor soloist too blurry, should be a lot lighter
To Slow, listen to Beecham's rendition for the ultimate performance.
The first rendition of Messiah I remember hearing as a child, and it remains my favourite. The music actually sounds superb at this tempo. Contemplative. Regal. Stately.