Händel: Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron & Hallelujah (Messiah, HWV 56)

[DonCamillo87]

little bit uninspired, i think..

[jamesmb444]

He shall dash them in pieces....the "he" in question is not Eeyore, people. Love the vigorous tempo. (check out John Eliot Gardiner's take on Beethoven's 5th - it'll singe your eyebrows off.)

[mspg2]

His precision is wonderful - every note is sung in his florid runs - taken at a guidy speed - LOVE IT.

[inchristed]

Wow

[inchristed]

Hallelujah

[inchristed]

I can better than dis boy

He is badd!

[iczerman]

This dude is AWeSOME!!!

[chewy61790]

Not to sound immature but i cannot listen to the "Hallelujah Chorus" without cracking up from thinking of that scene from 'Faceoff' where Nicholas Cage is wearing the priest outfit and dancing lmfao.

[ajhiflyer]

This only works because all those involved are up to it. I suspect a lesser bunch would be derailed in a second.

[MrGioviano]

Really too fast, but good voice and good performer!

[ikbenlars88]

I love this tempo, wouldn't have it any other way.

[jc2971]

 What a tempo. However, this singer does it very, very well. Loved it. But the Hallelujah chorus was totally out of character. TOOOOOOOOO FASSSSSST

[8000Christopher]

excellent performance

[gparks4269]

hoogoodness! so fast!

[nicksum29]

Gorgeous voice. 

[sweetnymphetamines]

This is so fast that is crazy!

[JvanLiempt]

What an awesome tempo. It's nice to hear this piece played with some balls.

[Gary2837]

MAGNIFICENT!!!!!

[Bigbearbeau]

John Mark always had a vile temper, and it works here, and the voice of an angel!

[Nagoragama]

Well performed, but the tempo is a bit ridiculous.

[payamismyname]

@Nagoragama in my psychology textbook, it says that handel wrote the entire messiah in a single month, while he was in a manic episode (Abnormal Psychology 7th edition, by Ronald Comer)

[dbrcarson]

This guy is so intense man

[lotr942]

I've listened and listened to other tenors do this "THOU SHALT BREAK THEM". By head and shoulders, this one by John Mark Ainsley is fabulously the best!!!!! I think Handel wrote this piece especially for him. Surely they are centuries apart. However, he does those runs so effortlessly as if the piece was written for his voice. Simply unmatched!!!! He owns it. That's how I want to be able to sing it as a tenor myself.

[derangedyoshi]

The creepy look the guy gives at 3:33 :L

Also, this is frighteningly fast. Enjoyable though, in a slightly surreal way.

[zefiroinparadiso]

i love minkowski's strenght, but this version is too fast for me!!

[JosephPatrickMcmahon]

I am delighted! This was a truly disciplined performance. Ainsley is clearly the new man in town. Well done ....bravo

[christjsm]

wow amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[chokito2011]

I love mincowskis version

[querar1]

awesome !!!!

[radam238]

Technically precise and beautifully done (even with, the h's as scorwitz noted below), but the tempo...really! Especially the chorus. It seems like so many conductors go overboard with the speed -- almost as a reactionary defiance of the sluggish tempo that characterizes the "popular" (vulgar?), Romantic versions out there. This was no less disappointing.

[tombaker1222]

Conductor obviously had a train to catch! Love it though, so many of these recordings of the Messiah are painfully slow!

[azpunky]

@tombaker1222 It's ready for a DJ to snatch it up for the next radio-hit mash-up.

[calanda76]

Bravo John, this is great singing!

[rspantikow]

Holy Crap! It's the Halleluja Chorus on crack!!

[DCTenor]

The Hallelujah, on the other hand, is a bit comical at this speed.

[DCTenor]

I actually love this tempo but I have the coloratura to sing it this fast.

[marmotloveranna]

I agree with you, McDandante - I just performed this this weekend, and this would have caused a stroke for us violins.

[scorwitz]

I love a brisk Messiah, but this borders on comical. John Mark Ainsley is brilliant for easily keeping up, albeit with "H's", though I see no other way to sing it so quickly, and I can see the reason for the aria to be quite fast, but not the chorus after.

Both, however, are just a hair too fast even for the intended purpose here, I think.

[SuperMarkus1967]

Wow! He is great. I love him. When I attempt this piece it feels as if I am going to "hark up" a fold :), but I will get it done. The tempo is great. Love it to pieces.

[falstocat]

Whoa, super fast!!!! I kind of like it for the aria... but it's almost too much for the Hallelujah. It's fantastically done, though, and I can respect the director's vision

[Enrico278]

Great. What power and overwhelming passion!

[MarkusDMeier]

Sehr opernmaessig ! Super ! Grosses Kino !

[Elantry]

Great singing! What's up with the pitch. Is this recording speeded up?

[ForestChav]

@Elantry uhh no, in fact, i wouldn't conduct it any slower!

[Viahandel06]

@Elantry No, its not, this is the tempo Marc Minkowski used for the film and the soundtrack.

[Elantry]

@Viahandel06 @ForestChav I was more curious about the pitch. I've never heard Händel in 430 before? Anyway thanks for your replys. =)

[AriaSinger1]

awesome!

[mattmillerkb]

i love handle and john mark ainsley, but i think i can say this my fav son by far

[khajho89]

EL MEJOR!