Handel - Messiah / Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble · Minkowski

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Marc Minkowski has led numerous outstanding Handel recordings, but he's up against stiff competition in Messiah. There are plenty of outstanding ones to suit all tastes, from Colin Davis's traditional performance on Philips to those of early-music specialists such as Hogwood, Suzuki, Christophers, and Pinnock. Minkowski is wildly original, and his version is unlike any other; it will intrigue some and anger many. He indulges in sharp tempo extremes and encourages his vocalists to emote in ways that some will find overdone. The result is exciting at times, but wearing at others, as in "He was despised." The Hallelujah Chorus lacks grandeur and "Let us break the bonds asunder" sounds frantic even as one admires the chorus's articulation at impossible speeds. Some of the soloists are quite good. Brian Asawa's sweet countertenor is a big plus, but some of his colleagues aren't up to their competitors on disc. A provocative Messiah, then, one collectors may want to supplement other, more compelling versions. --Dan Davis

Handel - Messiah / Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble · Minkowski, Music, George Frideric Handel, Marc Minkowski, Magdalena Kozená, Lynne Dawson, Nicole Heaston, Les Musicien du Louvre, Choral, Christmas / Chanukkah, Christmas Music, Classical, Classical Composers, Oratorio
Handel - Messiah / Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble · Minkowski
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Good, but far from best
  • Radical is one thing, freakish is another
  • Problematic tempi but nevertheless some splendid parts also!
  • Constructively radical
  • Flop of 2001!
 Handel - Messiah / Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble · Minkowski
George Frideric Handel , Marc Minkowski , Magdalena Kozená , Lynne Dawson , Nicole Heaston , and Les Musicien du Louvre
Manufacturer: Archiv Produktion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Magdalena Kozená ~ Handel Italian Cantatas / Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski

ASIN: B00005Q6NX
Release Date: 2001-10-16

Tracks:

  1. Part One: Sinf - Les Musiciens Du Louvre/Marc Minkowski
  2. Part One: 1. Accompagnato: Comfort Ye My People - John Mark Ainsley
  3. Part One: 2. Aria: Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted - John Mark Ainsley
  4. Part One: 3. Chor: And The Glory Of The Lord Shall Be Revealed - Choeur Des Musiciens Du Louvre Magdalena Kozena
  5. Part One: 4. Accompagnato: Thus Sainth The Lord Of Hosts - Brian Bannatyne-Scott
  6. Part One: 5. Aria: But Who My Abide The Day Of His Coming - Magdalena Kozena
  7. Part One: 6. Chor: And He Shall Purify The Sons Of Levi - Choeur Des Musiciens Du Louvre Magdalena Kozena
  8. Part One: 7. Recitative: Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive - Brian Asawa
  9. Part One: 8. Aria: O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings - Brian Asawa
  10. Part One: 9. Chor: O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings - Choeur Des Musiciens Du Louvre Magdalena Kozena
  11. Part One: 10. Accompagnato: For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover - Brian Bannatyne-Scott
  12. Part One: 11. Aria: The People That Walked In Darkness - Brian Bannatyne-Scott
  13. Part One: 12. Chor: For Unto Us A Child Is Born - Les Musiciens Du Louvre/Marc Minkowski
  14. Part One: 13. Pifa (Pastoral Sym) - Les Musiciens Du Louvre/Marc Minkowski
  15. Part One: 14. Recitative: There Were Sheperds Abiding In The Fields/Accompagnato: And Lo, Angel... - Nicole Heaston
  16. Part One: 15. Chor: Glory To God In The Highest! - Choeur Des Musiciens Du Louvre Magdalena Kozena
  17. Part One: 16. Aria: Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter Of Zion - Nicole Heaston
  18. Part One: 17a. Recitative: Then Shall The Eyes Of The Blind Be Open'd - Brian Asawa
  19. Part One: 18a. Duet: He Shall Feed His Flock - Brian Asawa/Nicole Heaston
  20. Part One: 19. Chor: His Yoke Is Easy, His Burthen Is Light - Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre

Tracks:

  1. Part Two: 20. Chor: Behold The Lamb Of God - Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre
  2. Part Two: 21. Aria: He Was Despised - Charlotte Hellekant
  3. Part Two: 22. Chor: Surely, He Hath Borne Our Griefs/23. Chor: And With Hid Stripes We Are Healed... - Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre
  4. Part Two: 25. Accompagnato: All They That See Him - John Mark Ainsley
  5. Part Two: 26. Chor: He Trusted In God - Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre
  6. Part Two: 27. Accompagnato: Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart - John Mark Ainsley
  7. Part Two: 28. Aria: Behold, And See, If There Be Any Sorrow - John Mark Ainsley
  8. Part Two: 29. Accompagnato: He Was Cut Off Out Of The Land - John Mark Ainsley
  9. Part Two: 30. Aria: But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul - John Mark Ainsley
  10. Part Two: 31. Chor: Lift Up Your Hands, O Ye Gates - Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre
  11. Part Two: 36. Aria: How Beautiful Are The Feet - Lynne Dawson
  12. Part Two: 38a. Aria: Why Do The Nations So Furiously Rage - Brian Bannatyne-Scott
  13. Part Two: 39. Chor: Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder - Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre
  14. Part Two: 40. Recitative: He That Dwelleth In Heaven/41. Aria: Thou Shalt Break Them - John Mark Ainsley
  15. Part Two: 42. Chor: Hallelujah! - Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre
  16. Part Three: 43. Aria: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth - Lynne Dawson
  17. Part Three: 44. Chor: Since By Man Came Death - Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre
  18. Part Three: 45. Accompagnato: Behold, I Tell You A Mystery - Russell Symthe
  19. Part Three: 46. Aria: The Trumpet Shall Sound - Russell Symthe
  20. Part Three: 47. Recitative: Then Shall Be Brought To Pass/48. Duet: O Death, Where Is Thy String? - Brian Asawa
  21. Part Three: 49. Chor; But Thanks Be To God - Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre
  22. Part Three: 50. Aria: If God Be For Us - Lynne Dawson
  23. Part Three: 51. Chor: Worthy Is The Lamb That Was Slain/52. Chor: Amen - Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre

Amazon.com

Marc Minkowski has led numerous outstanding Handel recordings, but he's up against stiff competition in Messiah. There are plenty of outstanding ones to suit all tastes, from Colin Davis's traditional performance on Philips to those of early-music specialists such as Hogwood, Suzuki, Christophers, and Pinnock. Minkowski is wildly original, and his version is unlike any other; it will intrigue some and anger many. He indulges in sharp tempo extremes and encourages his vocalists to emote in ways that some will find overdone. The result is exciting at times, but wearing at others, as in "He was despised." The Hallelujah Chorus lacks grandeur and "Let us break the bonds asunder" sounds frantic even as one admires the chorus's articulation at impossible speeds. Some of the soloists are quite good. Brian Asawa's sweet countertenor is a big plus, but some of his colleagues aren't up to their competitors on disc. A provocative Messiah, then, one collectors may want to supplement other, more compelling versions. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Good, but far from best.......2007-04-14

This is a typical Minowski high-energy performance. Indeed, often too high energy - some of the choruses are taken at such a pace that the choir has difficulty articulating the words. So, while there are good parts, I find that I rarely play this one any more. For me, Pinnock is the tops for the original instruments version, the old Charles Mackerras/Basil Lam version for modern instruments, and for something different and enjoyable, the Handel/Mozart of Hermann Max and the Rheinische Kantorei/Kleine Konzert.

2 out of 5 stars Radical is one thing, freakish is another.......2006-12-17

I admire Marc Minkowski and his excellent Louvre ensemble, but what was he thinking here? Except for a few numbers taken slower thn usual, his tempos race madly, to the point of freahishness. If you don't know what you're getting in for, every number will make you blink tiwce--it doesn't seem conceivable that a good musician would commit this kind of bizarre distortion on Handel, even in the name of authenticity. I guess the amazon reviewer considers 'radical' a word of praise, but not in this case. It's a shame that Minkowski's chorus and soloists are generally superior since they are asked to sing while chasing after a fire truck.

I doubt that my opinion will be popular here, but newcomers might welcome the warning. To my ears, this Messiah is unlistenable.

3 out of 5 stars Problematic tempi but nevertheless some splendid parts also!.......2002-07-18

Although Minkowski and his Musiciens du Louvre are one of my favourite performers of Baroque Music, I really have difficulties with this recording.

These difficulties are caused by the unusual tempi, which are - as some other reviewers have already indicated - quite fast in some of the passages. With such fastly performed passages, for instance the famous Halleluja-Chorus, one has the feeling that Minkowski just wanted to get them over and done with, so that he could get to those passages that he really likes to work on.

For my taste, Handels magnificient music needs a bit more time to develop its majestic sound. I also got Minkowski's recording of Charpentier's Te Deum. There I had the same "problem" with the famous Prélude. In both cases I have talked with some friends of mine. They also listened to the recordings, and all of us agreed that the tempi are just to quick.

There are, however, also some splendidly performed passages in this recording, such as for instance the Chorus "For unto us a Child is born". Nevertheless, my favourite recording is still Trevor Pinnock's version from the year 1990.

In my eyes, Pinnock's is the Messiah to have, whereas I would recommend Minkowski's only to those who like to compare different versions of a single piece of music.

4 out of 5 stars Constructively radical.......2002-06-12

This one sure is different. Minkowski says he's never conducted Messiah before because he felt that everything that could be done with it has already been done. When he finally set out to do it, his approach was to ignore all that's been done before and take a totally fresh look. He succeeds in doing that, with mixed results.

Generally his philosophy is to do things fast, very fast. In some cases this works; in others (notably "Let us break their bonds asunder") it doesn't. The French Choeur des Musicians de Louvre sings very well and is very well recorded, with each of the four voices distinct in character and the counterpoint exceptionally clear. Their non-native English is noticeable only rarely, usually in pronouncing "the" as "theh" rather than the more musical "thuh". The orchestra is also fine, except for the allegedly-historical vavleless trumpets which are even worse than most attempts on this justifiably-extinct instrument.

The solo cast is huge: In addition to the usual SATB there is a second soprano, a mezzo-soprano, a countertenor, and a baritone. The shining stars of the cast, by far, are alto Charlotte Hellekant and tenor John Mark Ainsley.

Hellekant is a true alto, not the usual mezzo-soprano in drag. Her voice is phenomenally warm, dark and deep, with immense dynamic range. Her vibrato is a bit tight but after a few notes you forget that. She sings "He was despised" with incredible intensity, redefining what this piece is. The first section is tragic, very slow, mournful, piano to pianissmo and very emotional. The middle section is a dramatic switch to forte spitting and snarling that exceeds even Anne-Sophie von Otter's excellent rendition (with Marriner 2). Then she builds even further intensity in the repeat, an incredible tragic full-voice triple-piano, with fine ornamentation added. She lives in Handel's house. She puts more thought and feeling into this section than anyone I've ever heard, and I have more than 30 Messiah CDs. Her sense of baroque music is perfect, remarkable in that most of her other performing and recording seems to be romantic and modern stuff. The only problem is -- this one piece is all she does! Minkowski erred in giving the other alto sections to the mezzo and countertenor, who are not in her league.

Unlike Hellekant Ainsely doesn't break new ground. His conception is fairly conventional, but it's done to perfection. He is musical and sincere throughout: warm and lyrical in the slow parts, exceptionally fast and clean in the running sixteenth notes. IMO he's about tied with Phillip Langridge (on Marriner 1) for best Messiah tenor.

As to the other soloists, I could take them or leave them. Nothing really bad, but nothing memorable either. I was particularly disappointed in soprano Lynne Dawson. In her earlier recording with Christophers she is magnificent. But here she is darker, tighter, and somehow seems too rushed to live here. I hope this is just incompability with Minkowski and not time taking its toll.

Westenberg remains my favorite Messiah, but this one also is a must-have.

1 out of 5 stars Flop of 2001!.......2002-03-11

Yet another "Messiah"? Well, why not? I would be the last person to complain, and the last to complain too about bringing drama and excitement to this much recorded work. But sadly I can't find anything to recommend in this new version. Handel's music is so full of drama anyway that it certainly doesn't have to be performed like a 'soap-opera' (to use another reviewer's words). But that's exactly where Minkowski takes us in his 'adventures' with "The Messiah"- to the flashy world of the `soap'.
His performance is vulgar and self-indulgent, with no respect for the music and the drama behind it (and often for the text itself). And yet, it is Minkowski himself who tells us that we are getting a 'more joyous, more sorrowful, more passionate (Messiah) than usual'- and that is a real insult to almost everybody who performed this work in the past.
Minkowski tries so hard to make it sound like nothing else before that the overall effect is often simply comical (there are, of course, some some good moments - all too few, I should add - one of them being the chorus "He trusted in God" (CD 2/5) effectively illustrating the crowd 'shouting out their lips' mentioned in the preceding recitative).
As for the soloists, they are probably trying their best, but before we start judging them, another excerpt from the liner notes might not be out of place. Minkowski tells us about the circumstances of the recording, about his how love affair with cinema was finally fulfilled in his collaboration with film director William Klein, which led to this recording. He also tells us that he worried about the working conditions and the format imposed by the film, the factors that were "paralyzing the singers and the orchestra". Indeed - that's exactly what they sound like: paralyzed. That's why they are so cold in spite of making every effort to be very expressive, even to the point of pain. Among them, John Mark Ainsley is certainly the most successful, bringing not only effective singing but also effective understatement that is missing almost everywhere else. What ever happened to Lynne Dawson? Her "I know that my Redeemer liveth" sounds so tired! When she finally relaxes a bit towards the end and produces some touching moments, it is too late to leave the impression of a memorable contribution (and she has left so many of them on her previous recordings, e.g. Ginevra for Minkowski in his "Ariodante", to name just one). The important solo trumpet in "The trumpet shall sound' is rather pathetic, so is the orchestral playing, which has only one thing in mind - to help the singer get through this aria as quickly as possible. Commenting on the singing of Brian Bannatyne-Scott would probably be impolite, just as it was impolite to record him in the first place.
Magdalena Kozena's first solo almost brings tears to my eyes but then has me confronting the booklet. Is that what this passage from Malachi is about? That's the general problem with Kozena - the all-purpose melancholy in her voice, tinged with eroticism, doesn't always work though it always seems to leave the impression of deep involvement. On closer scrutiny, however, she rarely reveals a full understanding of the text. Charlotte Hellekant's "He was despised" starts promisingly enough but then turns into a really painful chore. You can hear how hard she tries to achieve the requisite mourning effect and how heavily it drags along. To call this performance of the aria 'the best in the whole discography' (Opera International 265 p. 75) is an offence to von Otter (Pinnock), Fink (McCreesh) or even to the much cooler Scholl (Christie) and to so many glorious singers of the past who have recorded this work. True, they did a much subtler job and in our 'excitable' times subtlety is hardly a fashionable virtue.
Like every great piece of music, "The Messiah" is hard to spoil even in the worst performance. I find this recording truly tasteless and vulgar - much as it hurts me to say that about the work of a conductor whose recordings I usually enjoy a great deal (his "Iphigenie en Tauride" was a true revelation and my best recording of 2001). It is also a warning to any musician who tries to outdo his/her colleagues in a competition for originality at any price. To me this certainly is the worst recording of 2001 and it also happens to be the worst Messiah I've ever heard. I so much prefer my "Messiahs" less joyous, less sorrowful and less passionate if that means they are done with a true understanding of the drama, something that Minkowski is very, very far from achieving. But then again, I can't blame him for having tried - who could resist the temptation of recording this great work?
Incidentally, there is a funny minor error in the booklet: the singing on track 9 on CD 2 is erroneously attributed to Ainsley, while in fact the aria is sung by Kozena. Not that it matters a lot but it is confusing; even a few professional reviewers have been caught out by it. That Gramophone's Stanley Sadie might not have had the patience to hear the whole recording can be easily understood since he was rather impatient with this "Messiah" in any case (but he did notice that the track is sung by a female voice though he didn't recognize the voice itself). Drew Minter, in his extremely thoughtful review for "Opera News", didn't avoid this error either but again, I have nothing but sympathy for him. But why didn't the enthusiastic critic in "Opera International" (Feb 2002, p. 75) find enough enthusiasm to sit through the whole of a recording he so warmly recommended to his readers? And that summarizes it well - even at these crazy tempi, Minkowski's "Messiah" is far far too long and drags like a flight in a supersonic plane on a trip to nowhere.

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