Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 (Remastered) Choir of King's College, Cambridge & Sir David Willcocks

• George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759): Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1:
• 1 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: Sinfonia 04:09
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 1:
• 2 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 1: Accompagnato. "Comfort Ye My People" 03:26
• 3 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 1: Aria. "Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted" 03:41
• 4 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 1: Chorus. "And the Glory, the Glory of the Lord" 03:04
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 2:
• 5 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 2: Accompagnato. "Thus Saith the Lord" 01:49
• 6 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 2: Aria. "But Who May Abide" 04:38
• 7 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 2: Chorus. "And He Shall Purify" 02:40
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 3:
• 8 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 3: Recitative. "Behold, a Virgin Shall Conceive" 00:31
• 9 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 3: Aria. "O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings" 03:56
• 10 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 3: Chorus. "O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings" 01:43
• 11 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 3: Accompagnato. "For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover the Earth" 02:33
• 12 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 3: Aria. "The People That Walked in Darkness" 04:13
• 13 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 3: Chorus. "For Unto Us a Child Is Born" 04:15
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 4:
• 14 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 4: Pastoral Symphony "Pifa" 03:27
• 15 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 4: Recitative. "There Were Shepherds Abiding in the Field" 01:45
• 16 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 4: Chorus. "Glory to God" 02:23
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 5:
• 17 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 5: Chorus. "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion" 04:55
• 18 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 5: Recitative. "Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind Be Opened" 00:29
• 19 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 5: Aria with Choir. "He Shall Feed His Flock" 04:52
• 20 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1, Scene 5: Chorus. "His Yoke Is Easy" 02:32
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 1:
• 21 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 1: Chorus. "Behold the Lamb of God" 03:01
• 22 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 1: Aria. "He Was Despised and Rejected of Men" 11:09
• 23 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 1: Chorus. "Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs" 02:18
• 24 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 1: Chorus. "And with His Stripes We Are Healed" 01:57
• 25 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 1: Chorus. "All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray" 04:08
• 26 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 1: Accompagnato. "All They That See Him" 00:53
• 27 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 1: Chorus. "He Trusted in God" 02:12
• 28 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 1: Accompagnato. "Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart" 01:41
• 29 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 1: Arioso. "Behold, and See" 01:38
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 2:
• 30 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 2: Accompagnato. "He Was Cut Off" 00:21
• 31 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 2: Aria. "But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul" 02:00
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 3:
• 32 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 3: Chorus. "Lift Up Your Heads" 03:14
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 4:
• 33 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 4: Recitative. "Unto Which of the Angels" 00:21
• 34 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 4: Chorus. "Let All the Angels of God Worship Him" 01:33
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 5:
• 35 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 5: Aria. "Thou Art Gone up on High" 02:53
• 36 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 5: Chorus. "The Lord Gave the Word" 01:20
• 37 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 5: Chorus. "How Beautiful Are the Feet" 02:23
• 38 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 5: Chorus. "Their Sound Is Gone Out" 01:32
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 6:
• 39 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 6: Aria. "Why Do the Nations" 02:55
• 40 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 6: Chorus. "Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder" 01:56
• 41 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 6: Recitative. "He That Dwelleth in Heav'n" 00:17
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 7
• 42 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 7: Aria. "Thou Shalt Break Them" 02:18
• 43 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2, Scene 7: Chorus. "Hallelujah" 04:26
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 1:
• 44 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 1: Chorus. "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth" 05:57
• 45 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 1: Chorus. "Since by Man Came Death" 02:01
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 2:
• 46 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 2: Accompagnato. "Behold, I Tell You a Mystery" 00:42
• 47 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 2: Aria. "The Trumpet Shall Sound" 09:17
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 3:
• 48 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 3: Recitative. "Then Shall Be Brought" 00:19
• 49 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 3: Duet. "O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?" 01:04
• 50 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 3: Chorus. "But Thanks Be to God" 02:21
• 51 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 3: Chorus. "If God Be for Us" 05:07
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 4:
• 52 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 4: Chorus. "Worthy Is the Lamb" 03:34
• 53 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3, Scene 4: Chorus. "Amen" 03:45
• Total Runtime 02:31:34

Info for Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 (Remastered)

Messiah, HWV 56 (1992 Remastered Version) , Part 1: And the glory of the Lord (chorus: Andante), King's College Choir, Cambridge/Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and Sir David Willcocks.

Messiah (HWV 56)[1][n 1] is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the Coverdale Psalter, the version of the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.

Handel's reputation in England, where he had lived since 1712, had been established through his compositions of Italian opera. He turned to English oratorio in the 1730s in response to changes in public taste; Messiah was his sixth work in this genre. Although its structure resembles that of opera, it is not in dramatic form; there are no impersonations of characters and no direct speech. Instead, Jennens's text is an extended reflection on Jesus as the Messiah called Christ. The text begins in Part I with prophecies by Isaiah and others, and moves to the annunciation to the shepherds, the only "scene" taken from the Gospels. In Part II, Handel concentrates on the Passion and ends with the "Hallelujah" chorus. In Part III he covers the resurrection of the dead and Christ's glorification in heaven.

James Bowman, alto
Robert Tear, tenor
Benjamin Luxon, bass-baritone
Choir of King's College, Cambridge
Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields
Sir David Willcocks, conductor

Digitally remastered

Sir David Willcocks
The English conductor, organist and music educator, Sir David Willcocks, began his musical training as a chorister at Westminster Abbey from 1929 to 1934. He was a music scholar at Clifton College, Bristol (1934-1938), and then the organ scholar at King’s College, Cambridge (1939-1940). Following a five-year period of war military service, in which he was awarded the Military Cross, he returned to King’s College for two years (1945-1947). He was elected a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, and appointed Conductor of the Cambridge Philharmonic Society.

From 1947 to 1950 David Willcocks was the organist at Salisbury Cathedral and from 1950 to 1957 at Worcester Cathedral. During his years at Worcester he was principal conductor of the Three Choirs Festival (1951, 1954 and 1957) and conductor of the City of Birmingham Choir (1950-1957), with whom he gave his first British performance of Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem in 1952. From 1956 to 1974 he was also conductor of the Bradford Festival Choral Society. From 1957 to 1974 he was Director of Music at King’s College, Cambridge, where he maintained the glorious tradition with distinction. He made numerous recordings that gained international popularity through television and radio. With King's College Choir Cambridge he gave concerts in many European countries, Canada and Africa. At Cambridge he also served as University Organist, University Lecturer and Conductor of the Cambridge University Musical Society. From 1960 to 1998 he was Musical Director of The Bach Choir (London) which, since its foundation in 1875, has given first performances of several important works.

With The Bach Choir, Sir David Willcocks gave the first performances in Italy of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem at Perugia, Milan, La Scala and Venice in 1963 and later introduced the work in Japan, Hong Kong, Portugal and the Netherlands. From 1974 to 1984 he was Director of the Royal College of Music in London. He appears frequently as a conductor in the USA, Canada and European countries. He has also paid many visits to New Zealand and Australia, giving concerts with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Orchestras of the Australia Broadcasting Corporation; to Hong Kong for concerts with the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra and to South Africa for concerts with the South African Broadcasting Corporation Choirs and Orchestra.

David Willcocks was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1971, and was Knighted in 1977 in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Honours List. He is currently Music Director Emeritus of King's College Choir Cambridge. Sir David has received honorary degrees in England from the Universities of Bradford, Bristol, Exeter, Leicester and Sussex, and from the Royal College of Music in London; in the USA from Luther College (Iowa), St. Olaf College (Minnesota) and Westminster Choir College (New Jersey); and in Canada from the Universities of Trinity, Toronto and Victoria B.C. He is an Honorary Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge. He served as general editor of the Church Music series of the Oxford University Press.

This album contains no booklet.