2cd+1dvd Limited
3-CD
Classical
CD+Dvd, Limited Edition, Bonus Track(S)
“A lifetime of performing Messiah has brought me, at the age of 80, enough courage to record this singularly famous piece of music,” wrote conductor John Nelson in November 2022. “With the finest musicians and soloists on the planet surrounding me, I’m finally ready to lay down my personal interpretation for posterity.”
Nelson recorded Handel’s most celebrated oratorio at a concert in Coventry Cathedral in the heart of England. He was joined by the historically informed orchestra and choir of The English Concert and vocal soloists Lucy Crowe, Alex Potter, Michael Spyres and Matthew Brook. This memorable performance is now released as a three-disc set – the audio version on 2 CDs and the video on a DVD. Handel continued to work on Messiah in the decade after its first performance (Dublin, 1742) and the set features variants of the score and eight bonus tracks with alternative versions of famous arias.
In 1940, Coventry’s 15th century cathedral was ruined in a devastating bombing raid. A new, modernist cathedral, designed by Basil Spence, was consecrated in 1962. As John Nelson continued: “In today’s turbulent world, where the suffering of millions of displaced families has come close to all our lives, I hope that this Messiah in this symbolic location can be a powerful message of hope.”
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