Handel: Messiah / Heather Harper (Soprano), Helen Watts (Alto) / John Wakefield (Tenor), John Shirley-Quirk (Bass)

Heather Harper (Soprano), Helen Watts (Alto) / John Wakefield (Tenor), John Shirley-Quirk (Bass) / London Symphony Chorus / London Symphony Orchestra ． Davis

本輯是以現今影音最高規格-藍光（Blu-ray）為標準所壓製的純音樂光碟，也是有史以來音效最佳的播放格式。由於藍光碟片的容量較CD大數十倍，所能容納與記錄的訊號量也更為龐大，24-bit / 96kHz的發燒音效明顯不同於其他光碟格式，也絕對可以滿足樂迷嚴苛的要求。更重要的是，藍光取樣頻率為普通CD（16bit / 44.1kHz）的兩倍，因而能夠提供更多的細節與音樂性，也更接近黑膠唱片的自然聲響。

* 僅限藍光機播放

這是一份完全由英國聲樂家擔綱的錄音，由女高音海瑟哈波、海倫瓦茲、雪利夸克等人擔任獨唱，柯林．戴維斯指揮。錄音完成於1966年，四十年後依然受到讚揚，主要是因為指揮戴維斯在當時就已經率先參考了古樂運動早期的一些實驗結果，將之融合到傳統的彌賽亞演奏中，在當時是項創舉。韓德爾首演此劇時，只用了二十五名合唱團員和三十五名的樂團成員，而現代管弦樂團動輒一百人以上、合唱團最少也是八九十人的編制。如何讓六○年代已經習慣聽到兩三百人演唱的龐大編制彌賽亞樂迷接受削減了大量人數的演出，著實不容易。

戴維斯的樂隊成員只有三十七人，合唱團則只有四十人，已經儘量接近首演時的編制。合唱團則使用男女混聲，而不像近代古樂演出使用童聲替代女聲。對已經聽慣古樂演出更纖瘦質感的耳朵而言，戴維斯這份演奏聽來還是很傳統。對於沒有太多經驗的耳朵而言，實在分辨不出和蕭提或勞伯蕭那種超大編制的演出有什麼差異，但是在當時這樣的演出卻已經是驚世駭俗。另外，在當時一些經常被演奏成行板或是慢板的樂段，戴維斯也很嚴格地遵照韓德爾手稿上的指示，恢復成快板或疾板，結果就是一份整體速度偏快的演出。

這些在今天聽來都已經稀鬆平常的處理手法，卻為日後所有古樂演出奠定了一個聽覺習慣的重要基礎。沒有這份錄音在當年的成功，其後所有的古樂演出都將難以被接受。這份錄音也因此被日後大部份的古樂演奏奉為參考版本。

曲目:

Part. 1

1. Symphony 4:12

London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

2. "Comfort ye, My people" 3:08

3. "Ev’ry Valley shall be exalted" 3:26

John Wakefield, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

4. "And the glory of the Lord" 2:46

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

5. "Thus saith the Lord" 1:30

John Shirley-Quirk, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

6. "But who may abide the day of his coming" 4:19

Helen Watts, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

7. "And He shall purify the sons of Levi" 2:14

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

8. "Behold, a virgin shall conceive" 6:39

Helen Watts, London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

9. " For behold, darkness shall cover the earth...The people that walked in darkness" 6:00

John Shirley-Quirk, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

10. "For unto us a Child is born" 3:56

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

11. Pifa (Pastoral Symphony) 3:02

London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

12. "There were shepherds... And lo, the angel of the Lord...And the angel said unto them...And suddenly" 1:26

Heather Harper, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

13. "Glory to God in the highest" 1:53

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

14. "Rejoice greatly, o daughter of Zion" 4:10

Heather Harper, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

15. "Then shall the eyes of the blind" 0:28

Helen Watts, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

16. " He shall feed his flock" 5:09

Heather Harper, Helen Watts, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

17. "His yoke is easy" 2:08

Part. 2

18. "Behold the Lamb of God" 3:14

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

19. "He was despised" 9:30

Helen Watts, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

20. "Surely He hath borne...And with His stripes ...All we like sheep" 8:46

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

21. "All they that see Him" 0:46

John Wakefield, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

22. "He trusted in God" 2:22

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

23. "Thy rebuke hath broken His heart" 1:44

24. "Behold and see" 1:22

John Wakefield, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

25. "He was cut off...But Thou didst not leave his soul in Hell" 2:50

Heather Harper, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis, John Wakefield

26. "Lift up your heads" 3:13

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

27. "Unto which of the angels...Let all the Angels" 1:39

John Wakefield, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis, London Symphony Chorus

28. "Thou art gone up on high" 3:18

Helen Watts, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis, John Shirley-Quirk

29. "The Lord gave the word" 1:09

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

30. "How beautiful are the feet" 2:28

Heather Harper, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

31. "Their sound is gone out" 1:32

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

32. "Why do the nations so furiously rage together?" 2:43

John Shirley-Quirk, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

33. "Let us break their bonds asunder" 1:39

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

34. "He that dwelleth in heaven...Thou shalt break them" 2:23

John Wakefield, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

35. "Hallelujah" 3:51

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

Part. 3

36. "I know that my Redeemer liveth" 6:24

Heather Harper, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

37. "Since by man came death" 2:08

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

38. "Behold, I tell you a mystery" 0:37

39. "The trumpet shall sound" 8:30

John Shirley-Quirk, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

40. "Then shall be brought" / "O death were is thy sting" / "But thanks be to God" 3:48

Helen Watts, John Wakefield, London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

41. "If God be for us" 4:19

Heather Harper, Helen Watts, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

42. "Worthy is the Lamb... Amen" 7:10

London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis

Total Playing Time: 2:23:51

【得獎榮譽】