Boston's
Handel and Haydn Society gave the first complete performance of Messiah in the U.S. in 1818 and has done the work hundreds of times since then, with an annual performance tradition, of which this live recording is a part, since 1854. Since the last quarter of the 20th century, the group has moved in the direction of historically informed performance, but a bit of the old community flavor remains. It's characteristic of
H&H's current conductor,
Harry Christophers, that he steers a course incorporating the choir's American strengths. His
Handel and Haydn Society is 30 voices strong, in no way minimalist, but entirely clean in bringing a focus to the text and well balanced with the orchestra. The precision of his readings resembles that in the Baroque recordings of his English group,
The Sixteen, but the overall effect is different: he lets the singers, including a strong quartet of soloists, hold forth strongly; the group makes a lot of noise for 30 singers. The result is a real English-American hybrid performance that some may find splendid, others a bit shouty; you can sample one of the big choruses, like "And with his stripes" to determine which camp you might fall into. The live sound from Boston's Symphony Hall, which has heard this music countless times, is clear. Recommended for those enjoying
Christophers' American experiment, although there are, of course, many other choices for Messiah.