George Frederic Handel - 'O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion' from "The Messiah"

[MrMakmak95]

j'aime!!!!!

[sayerdaslayer]

What is this marked as? an andante or allegro? I like the slow interpretation, but I think the standard is a bit faster. Handel is one of those composers whose music can remain powerful and enjoyable even when different orchestras and conductors use different interpretations. Music is like literature in this respect. Great literature welcomes multiple interpretations and modes of thinking, A good piece of music does this as well. Anyway, great piece. Handel is a boss.

[LeSopraniste]

One of the best aria for contralto voice...beautiful!!!

[festaben45]

@LeSopraniste I like too, but too slow for my tast.

[rhall4th]

Gilmaris is correct in the pronunciation of "Zion."

[LeSopraniste]

I love this singer...she has a beautiful contralto voice!

[Abongwe]

Wow wat a nice piece im an alto but this soprano is great, i wonder why god didnt give me a super soprano voice.....Luv it

[LeSopraniste]

@Abongwe This singer is a contralto...not soprano!

[LeSopraniste]

@LeSopraniste I know...I don't speak that the singer is a soprano but a wonderful contralto!

[Nonie46]

The pronunciation of Zion is not Za-yon! It must be Tsi-yon!

[waciranjagi]

Another gem to Human race.

[alexpelaez97]

im a soprano and i love this song

[Nonie46]

I have listened to all singers of "O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion" and I find it amusing that the singer pronounces the letter "i" in Zion as "ai". It should be pronounced Tsiyon and not Saion.

[Gilmaris]

@Nonie46 You mean "tsee-on"? That would be the German pronunciation. The pronunciation in this recording, as all other recordings I have heard, is correct. They are using the English pronunciation of Zion, which is only appropriate when singing in English.

[MrFlexybee]

love the song but too slow

[Tenortalker]

Sorry folks got the conductor wrong, it's Walter Susskind. Helen Watts rerecorded the work with Colin Davis later in her career.

[Tenortalker]

This is certainly Helen Watts , Contralto conducted by Colin Davis. One of the greatest oratorio soloists in the world, she was loved by the public and her fellow professionals. I also saw her as Mrs Sedley in Britten's Peter Grimes in the 1980's. She had a lovely, gracious stage presence.

[jonnyenglishlim]

The tempo was rather slow when the falsetto (contratenor) solo was singing... and towards the end when the choir was singing, it suddenly speed up!

[turbokiera]

This is the same way I sang for solo competition in my state, trained me well enough to get a one (highest score) :) Great piece!

[dronomophone]

A little late for Easter, but I found this awesome recording...it doesn't say who the soloist is, though. London Philharmonic, Oh Thou that Tellest Good Tidings to Zion

[redaverages]

This is slowest rendition I have heard of this piece... Quite beautiful!

[utenn99]

Is there a place where this can particular recording can be downloaded in its entirety? I really like it and would like to purchase it.

[massapequaNEWS]

OH, no. This piece is specifically for a contralto, I believe. There is, in The Messiah, only one other solo that is specifically for ALTO, that is to say, a male countertenor.

[DSINGZ]

this is the lowest mezzo solo but the alto solos are really for 2nd sopranos or 1st altos i wish there were more DEEP alto solos

[DSINGZ]

Yea but i mean a solo that goes down to maybe a low F or so those kinds of contralto solos are stunning when you get the right soloist

[normalil]

I am a simpleton with no education, musical or otherwise, but I hear the beauty of this. Excellent.

[IKickHobos]

No, it can be sung by the countertenor but the oratorio is originally split up amongst the standard voices - Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass. They also have mostly the same amount of arias - Soprano 6, Alto 5, Tenor 6, Bass 5.

[mradaChris]

This was wonderful.

chris

[shiksagoddess25]

She is a bamf.

[dogtransport]

I think the soloist here is a generally a man (although perhaps that is debatable.

[shiksagoddess25]

This is one of the alto aria's. I'm currently working on it.

[dogtransport]

I thought it was for male countertenor. Maybe it varies because I there is no one set version of the Messiah.

[bluefete77]

A bit slow? All the better to enjoy the music . The recordings of Messiah done during the 1950's & 1960's were recorded at a slow pace.

[djhooten]

I agree good singer but far too slow and stodgy. That was the way it was done back then. I believe the singer is contralto Helen Watts.

[roskruge]

Sorry Guys! I enjoyed it immensely

[margotlorena]

not too baroque for my taste

[Op139]

Any recommendations for this peice?

[margotlorena]

I find it a bit too slow for my taste, the singer is a fine one.... can you tell who is directing and the soloists??

[Op139]

No I cannot. The disk set was simple and didn't indicate the names of the soloist or the conductor. It only specified the orchestra.

[madderbass]

I believe I have the same recording you do. It has Walter Susskind conducting, with the London Philharmonic Choir singing (Choirmaster Frederick Jackson). But, sadly there are no soloists listed either, which confuses me.

[jemmabond]

You're right - this version is a tad too slow.