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“…at these sensible tempos, and with careful dynamic gradations, the structure of the larger choral sections emerges clearly and thus overwhelmingly. …the soloists, the chorus and the orchestra are united, as their shared smiles show, and it is moving to see how intensely the soloists, especially Joyce DiDonato, listen to one another.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2007 **** “In a short interview before this concert in Notre-Dame Cathedral, John Nelson calls this performance 'a culmination of my experience with Bach' and it is one which is characterised by the conductor's highly considered and distilled understanding of the score. This is evident in his decisive direction, which is a model of clarity.
The tempi are beautifully judged, the monumental choruses are chiselled lovingly and the image-laden and reflective movements – reaching a tortured sadness and composed dignity in a superbly judged 'Crucifixus' – all conspire towards a magisterial and logical conclusion in the 'Dona nobis pacem', where heart and head seem happily entwined.
What prevents this from being as memorable are both the capability of the forces, beyond a certain level, and the flawed filming – random and quick-fire shots from all manner of angles.
The results are profoundly restless. There are far too many occasions where dubbing is ineptly handled, not least in the 'Laudamus te', where the admirable Joyce DiDonato is suddenly out of kilter with proceedings with an edit (26'39”) using a patch where the tempo is far too fast.
Comedy is the order of the day at the end of the 'Cum Sanctu Spiritu', where Nelson is filmed bringing off the ensemble at least two beats after the music has ended.
The Ensemble Orchestral de Paris perform in a fairly prosaic fashion by today's 'informed' standards and Nelson has a habit of accentuating appoggiaturas into submission; only the vibrant personality of the bassoons (notable in both bass 'arias') and the slick trumpeting ring out with complete confidence. The choir are committed and well drilled and Ruth Ziesak is the pick of the soloists, apart from an 'Et in unum' which is full of gratuitous accents – maybe in an attempt to encourage Daniel Taylor to take his head out of his copy. This DVD is not quite what it promises, though John Nelson's motivation and vision certainly bring a real sense of occasion.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 “John Nelson gives Bach's great mass a highly distinguished DVD debut, with a deeply expressive performance, full of life...Nelson's tempi cannot be faulted, and the performance moves forward spontaneously to its richly satisfying closing Dona nobis pacem...Olivier Simonnet's video coverage is fully worthy of the performance.” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Sing-Along Messiah
Resplendent in his powdered wig and 18th-century garb, Maestro Handel (aka Director of the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir Ivars Taurins) leads Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, a stellar cast of soloists — soprano Suzie LeBlanc, countertenor Daniel Taylor, tenor Rufus Müller, and baritone Locky Chung — and a mass audience choir made up of more than 1000 Tafelmusik fans as they perform Handel's baroque masterpiece. A Toronto tradition beloved by thousands, Tafelmusik’s annual Sing-Along Messiah has become a revered family ritual for many Torontonians over the past 25 years. Toronto’s largest sing-along event, Tafelmusik’s Sing-Along Messiah sells out every year, and participants are genuinely moved by the experience of joining their voices with hundreds of others to make music. This film was originally telecast by Bravo! and produced by the award-winning 90th Parallel Productions. Ivars Taurins received a Gemini Award nomination for his role in this film. BONUSES: The DVD booklet lists the website where enthusiastic DVD audiences can download the sing-along choruses so that they can sing along with Herr Handel at home! DVD includes five bonus audio tracks of Tafelmusik Chamber Choir performing music by Handel, Bach, Vivaldi and Mondonville. Total Time DVD: 1:06:45 plus 5 Audio Bonus Tracks Recording Date: January 2010 Picture Format: NTSC 0 Sound Format: Stereo AC3 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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