In November 1984 Sir Colin Davis conducted a performance of Messiah in Munich which, says the booklet which comes with these records, ''was a revelation to public and performers alike''. The surprising fact is that Messiah was previously almost unknown there. Enthusiasm was such that a recording was quickly organized with the same soloists. At rehearsal Sir Colin told the chorus to forget the B minor Mass; ''this is the world of Italian opera'', and as a result many of the choruses ''dance with a vitality born of freshness and discovery''. There is a similar ''freshness and discovery'' in the recording Solti made recently in Chicago (CD 414 396-2DH2, 5/85; LPs to be reviewed shortly), and it must be significant that Sir Georg had scarcely known the work previously. There is no point in comparing these recordings with Marriner's which, in an edition prepared by Christopher Hogwood, aimed very successfully at a scholarly reproduction of the first London performance of 1743. Solti and Davis use a larger chorus and orchestra and pay much less attention to baroque performing conventions and though not all purists will find them satisfying, these are, I think, the most exciting performances I've ever heard. Sir Colin Davis makes the same conventional choice between alternative versions of the items as he made before (also on Philips). His tempos were then found surprisingly quick but they seem usual enough today, and 1985 differs from 1966 only to meet the requirements of different soloists. Thus Simon Estes, the American bass, has an enormous voice (very impressive, though not always quite under control), and he needs more time in ''For behold darkness shall cover the earth'', as does Hannah Schwarz in ''He was despised'' (a most moving performance).
Stuart Burrows starts ''Ev'ry valley'' very dramatically, and his coloratura is as immaculately placed as anyone's, Margaret Price is glorious in ''I know that my Redeemer liveth'' and ''If God be for us''. She frequently gives high notes at the start of a phrase a magical purity, as several times in ''He shall feed His flock''. Both she and Hannah Schwarz add pleasing touches of decoration here and there, and they are effectively taken up by the violins in ''He was despised''.
Davis breaks new ground by cutting down to single strings in parts of the Overture's fugue and by having the fugal chorus ''And with His stripes'' sung unaccompanied—and very slowly. Un-Handelian, yet more impressive than usual. But I cannot like the equally un-Handelian sudden one-bar explosion in ''Behold the Lamb of God'' (at letter B) which is otherwise sung very quietly throughout.
The German chorus have excellent English and sing with irresistible verve. ''He shall purify'' and ''For unto us'' are taken very fast and very lightly; I found myself wishing the orchestra had adopted this staccato approach more often. A pleasing touch of pedantry: ''Surely'' sung in three syllables, which is how Handel thought it was pronounced. The Hallelujah Chorus is thrillingly good, and the final ''Amen'' Chorus made effective by a slowish ppp start and a climax bolstered by inoffensive additions for trumpets and drums, as indeed are to be heard on the 1966 records. Both chorus and soloists are preferable on the new ones, and predictably the quality is much better. In short, this is a beautiful performance very well recorded.'