HANDEL: Messiah HWV 56 / Beecham · Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus

Part 1
Overture 4:52
Comfort ye, my people 10:50
Thus saith the Lord of Hosts 10:12
Behold, a virgin shall conceive 8:09
For, behold, darkness shall cover 12:48
Pastoral Symphony - There were shepeherds abiding 9:10
Rejoice greatly, O daughter 4:38
Then shall the eyes 9:50

Part 2
Behold the Lamb of God 4:11
He was despised 6:07
Surely He hath borne our griefs 9:25
All they that see Him 3:20
Thy rebuke hath broken His heart 8:37
Lift up your heads 8:04
Why do the nations so furious rage 4:44
He that dwelleth in heaven 2:34
Hallelujah! 3:37

Part 3
I know that my Redeemer liveth 7:46
Since by man came death 2:31
Behold, I tell you a mystery 5:04
Worthy is the Lamb 7:53

Appendix
from Part II 7:18
from Part III 9:45

제니퍼 비비안 (소프라노) Jennifer Vyvyan (soprano)
모니카 신클레어 (메조소프라노) Monica Sinclair (mezzo-soprano)
존 비커스 (테너) Jon Vickers (tenor)
조르조 토치 (베이스) Giorgio Tozzi (bass)

토마스 비첨 경 (지휘) Sir Thomas Beecham (conductor)
로얄 필하모닉 오케스트라 & 합창단 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus
[관현악편곡: 유진 구센스 경] [Orchestration: Sir Eugene Goossens]

녹음연도 및 장소: 1959 (ⓟ 1959) Stereo

[sandrapainter]

I have always loved this version of the messiah. I think Thomas Beecham did a spectacular job directing this.

[jonbaum]

By today's fashion everything about this recording is wrong, but in its way it's absolutely marvellous

[jimmclaughlin]

I should add, not only do I just enjoy it but I have for over 60 years, and never knew better. Musical beauty is in the ear of the listener.😊

[jeffreymarler]

A glorious recording! Where are our Vickers and Tozzis?

[jimmclaughlin]

By far my favorite rendition of The Messiah. Fortunately, I don't know enough to know what's wrong with it so I just enjoy it.

[OzanYarman]

by Chia Han-Leon

Oops. Recently, in the pages of Gramophone, Lady Shirley Beecham has written to clarify that the 1959 Beecham recording of Messiah, reviewed here, was in fact not orchestrated by Sir Eugene Goossens. According to her, Sir Thomas had engaged Sir Eugene to arrange the oratorio for a full modern orchestra, but as time passed, Sir Thomas found the latter’s pace and quality of work unimpressive.As time was running short, Sir Thomas asked one Leonard Salzedo – a musician (and composer) in the Royal Philharmonic – to undertake the task. Oddly, Sir Goossens was the one paid for the job eventually (and damn well) done – the man never even attended the recording sessions.

Lady Beecham suggests that Sir Thomas did not want to embarass his life-long friend, and so, rather than reveal the truth, simply made no mention of the nature of the situation in the booklet notes of the RCA album.

Info compiled from letter by Shirley, Lady Beecham. Gramophone June 1999.

The first difference you might notice here is when the tenor’s “Comfort ye” (disc 1: track 2) accompagnato begins, with its harps rippling gently in the background. As he proceeds to his aria “Every valley”, trumpets and other wind instruments ensure a colourful accompaniment – and this is the great glory of this set. The idea of reorchestrating a well-established piece of music is not that often welcomed, but in the case of Leonard Salzedo’s fascinating and bountiful reworking of Handel’s Messiah – I can only wish he had done the same with more Baroque works!

The effect of the score is like a combination of English choral tradition with a huge dose of orchestration lessons with Berlioz, and even a touch of Beethovenian woodwind!

[maestroclassico]

Goosens orchestration is amazing. Can you imagine if Berlioz or Mahler had orchestrated this?

[randomhawk]

*Timestamps*

*Part 1*
Intro (Overture) [Length - 4:52]
0:01 - No. 1 Sinfony (Overture)

Scene 1 (Comfort ye, my people) [Length - 10:50]
4:52 - No. 2 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people saith your god
8:29 - No. 3 Ev’ry valley shall be exalted
12:04 - No. 4 And the glory, the glory of the Lord shall be revealed

Scene 2 (Thus saith the Lord of Hosts) [Length - 10:12]
15:41 - No. 5 Thus saith the Lord, the Lord of Hosts
17:34 - No. 6 But who may abide the day of His coming (for he is like a refiner's fire)
22:39 - No. 7 And He shall purify the sons of Levi

Scene 3 (Behold, a virgin shall conceive) [Length - 8:09]
25:54 - No. 8 Behold, a virgin shall conceive
26:37 - No. 9 O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (Arise, shine)
34:02 - No. 10 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth
37:02 - No. 11 The people that walked in darkness
41:58 - No. 12 For unto us a Child is born

Scene 4 (Pastoral Symphony - There were shepeherds abiding) [Length - 9:10]
46:50 - No. 13 Pifa (Pastorale)
51:29 - No. 14 There were shepherds abiding in the field
51:56 - No. 15.1 And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them
52:27 - No. 15.2 And the angel said unto them
53:20 - No. 16 And suddenly there was with the angel
53:41 - No. 17 Glory to God in the highest

Scene 5 (Rejoice greatly, O daughter/Then shall the eyes) [Length - 14:28]
56:00 - No. 18 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion
1:00:37 - No. 19 Then shall the eyes of the blind be open'd
1:01:09 - No. 20 He shall feed His flock like a shepherd (Come unto Him, all ye that labour)
1:07:24 -- No. 21 His yoke is easy, His burthen is light

[MORE TIMESTAMPS COMING AT A LATER TIME]

[barryfields-hv]

May not be idiomatic...but boy is this fun.

[seanmchugh]

Something wrong with the list of timings there.

[alanhowe]

Yes: completely wrong, but absolutely marvellous!

[roncooney]

Coments like "it's completely wrong" BUT "it's really good." My, God! It IS wrong and it is NO good. Plodding. boring and the orchestration is like a really bad joke. Like walking through hot tar in cement shoes.