Handel - Messiah Oratorio HWV 56, Hallelujah Chorus / New Mastering (reference rec.: Eugene Ormandy)

Georg Friedrich Handel (1685-1759) Messiah Oratorio by Eugene Ormandy / Remastered.
Click to activate the English subtitles for the presentation (00:00-09:27)
00:00 No. 1: Overture, Sinfony - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
04:26 No. 2: Comfort ye, my people - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
07:56 No. 3: Every valley shall be exalted - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
11:50 No. 4: And the Glory of the Lord - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
15:09 No. 5: Thus saith the Lord - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
16:41 No. 6: But who may abide - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
21:14 No. 7: And he shall purify - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
23:55 No. 8: Behold, a Virgin shall conceive - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
24:32 No. 9: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (Aria & Chorus) - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
31:34 No. 12: For unto us a Child is Born - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
35:48 No. 13: Pifa, Pastoral Symphony - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
39:48 No. 14: There were shepherds abiding in the fields - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
40:40 No. 15: And the Angel said unto them - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
41:52 No. 16: And suddenly there was with the Angel - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
42:20 No. 17: Glory to God - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
44:14 No. 19: Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
44:49 No. 20: He shall feed his flock like a shepherd - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
51:53 No. 21: His yoke is easy, his burthen is light - Messiah HWV 56, Part One

54:39 No. 22: Behold the Lamb of God - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
58:30 No. 23: He was despised and rejected of men - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:03:47 No. 24: Surely, he hath borne our griefs - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:06:52 No. 25: And with his stripes we are healed - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:09:11 No. 26: All we like sheep have gone astray - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:13:28 No. 33: Lift up your heads - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:16:34 No. 40: Why do the nations? - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:19:15 No. 42: He that dwelleth in Heaven - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:19:38 No. 43: Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:21:55 No. 44: Hallelujah Chorus - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two

1:25:51 No. 45: I Know that my Redeemer liveth - Messiah HWV 56, Part Three
1:32:59 No. 47: Behold, I tell you a mystery - Messiah HWV 56, Part Three
1:33:46 No. 48: The trumpet shall sound - Messiah HWV 56, Part Three
1:40:40 No. 53: Worthy is the Lamb - Messiah HWV 56, Part Three

Soprano: Eileen Farrell
Contralto: Martha Lipton
Tenor: Davis Cunningham
Baritone: William Warfield
The Philadelphia Orchestra
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (Mormon Tabernacle Choir)
Conductor: Eugene Ormandy
Recorded in 1959
New mastering in 2022 by AB for CMRR
❤️ If you like CM//RR content, please consider membership at our Patreon page.

FULL COMMENT: SEE FIRST PINNED COMMENT
An oratorio! How to compose anything in such a situation? Handel pests, gets carried away, but ends up reading the libretto. It is entitled The Messiah. It contains a wide variety of biblical passages from the New and Old Testaments, arranged by Jennens to form a coherent sequence. Flipping through the pages, Handel came across passages that moved him deeply and finally convinced him.

Reinvigorated, having left behind his sorrows, he set to work a month later, inspired by a divine inspiration and a newfound verve. His activity becomes frenetic: for twenty-four days and twenty-four nights, he writes without interruption, hardly sparing himself, which is not without frightening his servant. The result is as good as the effort: Handel has just created one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of music.

The beauty of the work and the emotions it conveys are so great that the King himself, at the London premiere, upon hearing the vibrant Hallelujah chorus, stood up and remained standing until the end of the piece, bringing the entire audience with him. This practice has since become a constantly respected tradition.

[classicalmusicreference]

Georg Friedrich Handel (1685-1759) Messiah Oratorio by Eugene Ormandy / Remastered.
Click to activate the English subtitles for the presentation (coming soon)
00:00 No. 1: Overture, Sinfony - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
04:26 No. 2: Comfort ye, my people - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
07:56 No. 3: Every valley shall be exalted - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
11:50 No. 4: And the Glory of the Lord - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
15:09 No. 5: Thus saith the Lord - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
16:41 No. 6: But who may abide - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
21:14 No. 7: And he shall purify - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
23:55 No. 8: Behold, a Virgin shall conceive - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
24:32 No. 9: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (Aria & Chorus) - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
31:34 No. 12: For unto us a Child is Born - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
35:48 No. 13: Pifa, Pastoral Symphony - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
39:48 No. 14: There were shepherds abiding in the fields - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
40:40 No. 15: And the Angel said unto them - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
41:52 No. 16: And suddenly there was with the Angel - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
42:20 No. 17: Glory to God - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
44:14 No. 19: Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
44:49 No. 20: He shall feed his flock like a shepherd - Messiah HWV 56, Part One
51:53 No. 21: His yoke is easy, his burthen is light - Messiah HWV 56, Part One

54:39 No. 22: Behold the Lamb of God - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
58:30 No. 23: He was despised and rejected of men - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:03:47 No. 24: Surely, he hath borne our griefs - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:06:52 No. 25: And with his stripes we are healed - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:09:11 No. 26: All we like sheep have gone astray - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:13:28 No. 33: Lift up your heads - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:16:34 No. 40: Why do the nations? - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:19:15 No. 42: He that dwelleth in Heaven - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:19:38 No. 43: Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two
1:21:55 No. 44: Hallelujah Chorus - Messiah HWV 56, Part Two

1:25:51 No. 45: I Know that my Redeemer liveth - Messiah HWV 56, Part Three
1:32:59 No. 47: Behold, I tell you a mystery - Messiah HWV 56, Part Three
1:33:46 No. 48: The trumpet shall sound - Messiah HWV 56, Part Three
1:40:40 No. 53: Worthy is the Lamb - Messiah HWV 56, Part Three

Soprano: Eileen Farrell
Contralto: Martha Lipton
Tenor: Davis Cunningham
Baritone: William Warfield
The Philadelphia Orchestra
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (Mormon Tabernacle Choir)
Conductor: Eugene Ormandy
Recorded in 1959
New mastering in 2022 by AB for CMRR
❤️ If you like CM//RR content, please consider membership at our Patreon page.

In July 1741, Handel's morale was at its lowest. His operas were no longer successful, his creative flame was waning, and his solitude was deepening. For months, it is only disgust, dryness and alcohol. He who, for thirty years, has received all the favors of kings and queens, is again in turmoil. Indeed, one must remember that a terrible apoplexy attack had, four years earlier, violently struck him down, and that it was not long before he lost his skin. Would this force of nature still manage to get up?

One night, after wandering aimlessly through the London streets, he returned home, more overwhelmed than ever. There he finds a letter: it is signed by Charles Jennens, a poet he knows well, and is accompanied by a libretto. Jennens urged Handel to transcribe his text for an oratorio, adding that "the Lord has given the order"...

An oratorio! How to compose anything in such a situation? Handel pests, gets carried away, but ends up reading the libretto. It is entitled The Messiah. It contains a wide variety of biblical passages from the New and Old Testaments, arranged by Jennens to form a coherent sequence. Flipping through the pages, Handel came across passages that moved him deeply and finally convinced him.

Reinvigorated, having left behind his sorrows, he set to work a month later, inspired by a divine inspiration and a newfound verve. His activity becomes frenetic: for twenty-four days and twenty-four nights, he writes without interruption, hardly sparing himself, which is not without frightening his servant. The result is as good as the effort: Handel has just created one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of music.

Needless to say, Messiah was an immediate success. Anyone present in Dublin in 1742 for the first performance could already appreciate the dramatic approach to its material, reminiscent of that of the opera, as well as that expression of transcendent immediacy which translates the master's unshakeable faith, and which is found entirely in one of his most famous arias: "I know that my redeemer liveth.

But what is perhaps most characteristic of the work is its synthetic richness: here and there, scattered throughout the work, one discovers multiple allusions to various musical forms, such as echoes of German chorales or Italian folk tunes. This mixture is skillfully blended into the careful balance of overtures and conclusions, arias and choruses, and the melodic rendering thus enhances the biblical message.

The beauty of the work and the emotions it conveys are so great that the King himself, at the London premiere, upon hearing the vibrant Hallelujah chorus, stood up and remained standing until the end of the piece, bringing the entire audience with him. This practice has since become a constantly respected tradition.


Hallelujah - The English transliteration of the Hebrew phrase ha-lelu-Yahʹ, which means "praise Jah" or "praise Jah, you people."
Jah - a shortened poetic form of God's name, Jehovah. It appears in the Bible over 50 times, often in the phrase "Hallelujah."

"Hallelujah, " explains a Bible dictionary, is a "word used by the writers of various psalms to invite everyone to join them in praising Jehovah." In fact, a number of Bible scholars point out that "Hallelujah" means "Praise Jah, " [i.e.] Jehovah.

❤️ If you like CM//RR content, please consider membership at our Patreon page.

[francoispallud]

Interessant de comparer et d'écouter ces versions anciennes aux modernes, il y a toujours quelque chose à découvrir .C'est pas mieux, c'est différent, merci pour votre travail et de faire ressurgir ces trésors

[classicalmusicreference]

In July 1741, Handel's morale was at its lowest. His operas were no longer successful, his creative flame was waning, and his solitude was deepening. For months, it is only disgust, dryness and alcohol. He who, for thirty years, has received all the favors of kings and queens, is again in turmoil. Indeed, one must remember that a terrible apoplexy attack had, four years earlier, violently struck him down, and that it was not long before he lost his skin. Would this force of nature still manage to get up?

One night, after wandering aimlessly through the London streets, he returned home, more overwhelmed than ever. There he finds a letter: it is signed by Charles Jennens, a poet he knows well, and is accompanied by a libretto. Jennens urged Handel to transcribe his text for an oratorio, adding that "the Lord has given the order"...

An oratorio! How to compose anything in such a situation? Handel pests, gets carried away, but ends up reading the libretto. It is entitled The Messiah. It contains a wide variety of biblical passages from the New and Old Testaments, arranged by Jennens to form a coherent sequence. Flipping through the pages, Handel came across passages that moved him deeply and finally convinced him.

Reinvigorated, having left behind his sorrows, he set to work a month later, inspired by a divine inspiration and a newfound verve. His activity becomes frenetic: for twenty-four days and twenty-four nights, he writes without interruption, hardly sparing himself, which is not without frightening his servant. The result is as good as the effort: Handel has just created one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of music.

Needless to say, Messiah was an immediate success. Anyone present in Dublin in 1742 for the first performance could already appreciate the dramatic approach to its material, reminiscent of that of the opera, as well as that expression of transcendent immediacy which translates the master's unshakeable faith, and which is found entirely in one of his most famous arias: "I know that my redeemer liveth.

But what is perhaps most characteristic of the work is its synthetic richness: here and there, scattered throughout the work, one discovers multiple allusions to various musical forms, such as echoes of German chorales or Italian folk tunes. This mixture is skillfully blended into the careful balance of overtures and conclusions, arias and choruses, and the melodic rendering thus enhances the biblical message.

The beauty of the work and the emotions it conveys are so great that the King himself, at the London premiere, upon hearing the vibrant Hallelujah chorus, stood up and remained standing until the end of the piece, bringing the entire audience with him. This practice has since become a constantly respected tradition.


Hallelujah - The English transliteration of the Hebrew phrase ha-lelu-Yahʹ, which means "praise Jah" or "praise Jah, you people."
Jah - a shortened poetic form of God's name, Jehovah. It appears in the Bible over 50 times, often in the phrase "Hallelujah."

"Hallelujah, " explains a Bible dictionary, is a "word used by the writers of various psalms to invite everyone to join them in praising Jehovah." In fact, a number of Bible scholars point out that "Hallelujah" means "Praise Jah, " [i.e.] Jehovah.

❤️ If you like CM//RR content, please consider membership at our Patreon page.

[jesustovar]

Ladies and gentlemen, I have the plaasure we're sharing this wonderful work of Handel that should be considered human heritage, I'm not catholic (I used to) and I'm not christian but I enjoy the music and texts and the power of several performances and recordings of this work, it's so sublime, so beautiful, it is for these kinds of things that it is worth preserving life on Earth, to appreciate the fullness of these works and that they captivate the hearts of people for centuries. HALLELUJAH HANDEL.

[Evereliever]

Heart-stoppingly wonderful. PTL for Jennen's miraculous intervention in Handels then state of mind. Bravo. And to Ormondy, and the Philly orchestra, too.

[kimsteel]

I love Ormandy, I love the "Philadelphia sound", and I love Handel's "Messiah"! This recording gives me all 3 and it's wonderful! 🤩🤩🤩💖💖💖 Some people don't like modern orchestras or modern tuning where Baroque is concerned, but I LOVE IT. It has life, vitality, expression, and power. Bravissimo, Maestro Ormandy, and bravissimo, Philadelphia Orchestra! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[notaire]

Wunderschöne Interpretation dieses großartigen und perfekt komponierten Meisterwerks mit gut vereinigten und perfekt entsprechenden Tönen aller Instrumente sowie herrlichen Stimmen vierer genialen Solisten und gut harmonisierten Stimmen des perfekt trainierten Chors. Der intelligente und erfahrene Dirigent leitet das hoch funktionelle Orchester in verschiedenen Tempi und mit möglichst effektiver Dynamik. Danke fürs wertvolle Onlinestellen!

[jorgeurzuaurzua]

Thanks for this major remastered recording of Messiah. Ormandy and the Tabernacle choir give a solid, massive, impeccable rendering following the preferences of the XX century. More recent versions provide a more subtle musical experience. It is a matter of subjective feeling which rendering do you prefer. There are merits in both and both mean uplifting experiences.

[brendanward]

Merci beaucoup. Being a Dubliner, this piece holds a special place in my heart.

[donaldreed]

I can hardly believe how wonderful this is.

[SirPaulMuaddib]

I have the original LP of this, as well as the later CD version....now I have the YT "version" I can listen to on my smart phone.

[amigosdosfilmesonline]

Magnífica música. Músicos excelentes. Registro nobre. Remasterização excelente. Só posso agradecer muitíssimo esse seu post CMRR. O Mundo está precisando desse tipo de música para neutralizar tanta barbárie e sofrimento que está reinando neste momento sombrio e obscuro. Obrigado.

[ГалинаСердолик]

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!

[sounderdavis]

I hadn't heard this in decades, and I'd forgotten how good bass soloist William Warfield is here. Not everyone agrees, but I think he's the gem in this production. This is the digitally remastered version of the analog vinyl recording so many of us grew up listening to December-after-December in the 1960s. This is one of the all-time best-selling classical recordings.

Some listeners have lamented the omitted and shortened pieces of Messiah, but in 1959, Columbia Records correctly calculated that they would sell a lot of two-LP sets with these renowned artists (and probably not nearly as many three-LP sets). Ormandy chose mostly slower tempi than other conductors have favored in decades since. The producers recorded their choice of Messiah highlights in Ormandy's tempi that they could fit on four sides of vinyl.

However... I don't think this performance holds up well compared to most 1970s-1980s Messiah recordings, though, not because of slower tempi... not because of score cuts... but because this marvelous choir and orchestra are wasted, IMO. Top-notch ensemble under the baton is lacking here; by that I mean that all too often the various sections of choir and orchestra are not performing as one. Here we often have sopranos vs. string basses vs. tenors vs. violins etc. They're mostly in-sync within each section but too often out-of-sync across sections. "All We Like Sheep, have gone astray, every section in its own way." It's possible this issue can be attributed to inadequate budgeting for rehearsal and recording time.. or acoustics... rather than Mr. Ormandy. He may have done the best he could with what Columbia gave him.

Who's recorded Messiah much better? My personal preferences (but there are many other worthy candidates): if you like big, modern productions like this one, my favorite is Robert Shaw - Atlanta. Almost as good: Colin Davis - London... and Georg Solti - Chicago. All three have much tighter ensemble and powerful choir-orchestra-soloist performances that leave Ormandy's recording well behind overall. If you like Messiah leaner with what some would argue is a more accurate period setting and choir/orchestra sound, John Eliot Gardiner - Monteverdi is also superb. All four of these include the complete oratorio, as long as you opt for the multidisc sets, or complete mp3 downloads or streams vs. a one-hour "highlights" version. If all you know and love is this Ormandy recording, you will also be delighted by many new-to-you wonderful Handel airs and choruses that did not make Columbia's cut.

[canman]

Not a complete performance but great performance.

[VCT]

what else is there to add except .... hallelujah!

[horiaganescu]

Soprano: Eileen (not Eilen) Farrell...

[dhmiirm]

I think you got the wrong time stamps in the description.

[maestroclassico]

Is this Handel's scoring or a revised Orchestration? Perhaps my ears just aren't used to hearing this piece played by a string section as powerful as Philadelphia's.

[miamadojesus]

Estimados seguidores de este canal, hoy quisiera plantearos una cosa en la que quizás no habíais prestado demasiada atención, pero que a mí sí que me llama mucho la atención: desde hace años se viene prescindiendo olímpicamente del artículo "EL" cuando se hace referencia a 'El Mesías' de Haendel...y me pregunto "por qué será...???" Desde siempre en todas las grabaciones aparecía impreso "EL MESÍAS" y, como digo, desde hace años se prescinde olímpicamente del artículo y "se quedan tan tranquilos..." es una jugada "maestra" más del Diablo, como si quisiera quitar importancia al hecho de que sea Jesucristo el ÚNICO Mesías, quitándole así su única supremacía, sobre cualquier otro supuesto "Mesías"... Os dais cuenta de la jugada...?!?! Yo es la única y lógica explicación que le veo....He intentado averiguar por Internet, como fue la página original de este Oratorio de Haendel y no lo he conseguido, si alguno de vosotros tenéis referencias fiables sobre este tema le agradecería mucho que lo compartiese...para aclarar mis dudas y la de todos aquellos que también las podáis tener... Muchas gracias.