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Track(s) taken from SIGCD300

Elijah

composer
1846
author of text
after Julius Schubring

Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh (conductor)
Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
CD-Quality:
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CD-Quality:
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Recording details: September 2011
Watford Colosseum, United Kingdom
Produced by Nicholas Parker
Engineered by Neil Hutchinson & Chris Roberts
Release date: September 2012
Total duration: 135 minutes 32 seconds
 

Reviews

'Paul McCreesh envisages 'the world's largest chamber choir' that would emulate a chamber choir's 'extremely nuanced, coloured and articulate singing' … if the soloists, Sarah Connolly sings with mellifluous tone and Simon Keenlyside is an Elijah of spirit and intelligence: he may not have the sheer weight of a Bryn Terfel, but he's alive to every shift of meaning and his diction is, as ever, impeccable. The gut strings, unimpeded by vibrato, bring splendid urgency to the texture' (BBC Music Magazine)» More
PERFORMANCE
RECORDING

'In the nineteenth century, Mendelssohn's oratorio became a central work for British choral societies, and, unlike Handel's Messiah, Elijah continues to flourish as a large-scale work, often weighted down by sanctity. But Paul McCreesh here totally re-imagines it: the big choruses are transparent as well as massively impressive—with young Gabrieli voices and a Polish choir in the lead—and there is no danger of religiosity in the fresh-voiced solos of Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly and Simon Keenlyside: 'O rest in the Lord' and 'For the mountains shall depart' flow with genuine fervour. In all, a spectacularly successful reinvention of the British choral tradition' (The Observer)

'This recording of Mendelssohn’s epic Old Testament oratorio was made in the wake of last year’s acclaimed performance at the BBC Proms … Elijah is a natural progression for the Gabrieli Consort & Players, albeit that the choral complement is greatly expanded by the Wroclaw Philharmonic Choir, Chetham’s Chamber Choir, North East Youth Chorale, Taplow Youth Choir and Ulster Youth Chamber Choir … familiar moments in Elijah sound newly minted here, McCreesh approaching them with polished, fluent phrasing and using the period instruments of his orchestra to underpin emphases and to add vibrant colour' (The Daily Telegraph)» More

'this release is an absolutely tremendous achievement … it is the choir that is the heart of the piece and the performance. All ages, joyful, uninhibited yet unanimous, they carry all before them. Was this the best tenor section ever? Has unison singing ever been so thrilling? The starry soloists also give their best, with Simon Keenlyside a magisterial Elijah to whom future performers of the role will surely look for inspiration … set an evening aside and prepare to be uplifted with the prophet. You'll feel that you're in his fiery chariot' (Early Music Review)» More

'Paul McCreesh recreates the vast forces that took part in the première of Elijah in Birmingham in 1846. With exciting and highly skilled singing and playing from his Anglo-Polish forces McCreesh leads a revelatory and often thrilling account of Mendelssohn’s choral masterpiece. Simon Keenlyside, in the title role, and Sarah Connolly are outstanding among the soloists

’ (MusicWeb International)

Other albums featuring this work

Celestial Dawn
Studio Master: SIGCD714Download onlyStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
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