CD-Charts Position 1

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The No.1 Handel Album

Search: Hallelujah
by: Various Artists

Release Date January 29, 2007

CD-Charts Position 2

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Essential Choral Classics

Search: Hallelujah
by: Various Artists

Release Date April 10, 2006

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

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Ultimate Handel

Search: Hallelujah
by: Various Artists

Release Date May 14, 2007

This set provides a selection of some of George Frideric Handel's best music. The 5 CDs are each supplied in standard single jewel cases and packaged into a card sleeve with a somewhat garish picture of the composer printed on the cover, making a slightly bulky but colourful set.

The decision to offer 5 CDs, instead of the typical 2CD `Best Of' sets, has enabled this compilation to score highly over its competitors by giving a greater depth of music than is usually found in collections such as these, and with over 6 hours of music it provides a good representation of the composer's works without having to resort to editing down to the minimal highlights, which so often does an injustice to the piece of music.

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CD-Charts Position 4
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Handel: Messiah

Search: Hallelujah
from: Double Decca

Release Date September 18, 1995
The singers in this recording deliver beautiful performances, both the soloists and the chorus - good phrasing, diction, and ensemble singing. However, I didn't realize before buying this CD that, as the liner notes say, "Neville Mariner's recording is based on the first London performance of 1743, and several numbers are markedly different from the more familiar later versions." Some pieces are sung by different voice parts, and others include bars of music that Handel cut or changed later. The most disappointing part for me was "But who may abide," (sung by bass instead of alto) which lacks the prestissimo "refiner's fire" section that most of us are used to (and which I really enjoy!) This would certainly be ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

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Essential Baroque

Search: Hallelujah
by: Various Artists

Release Date August 14, 2006
The singers in this recording deliver beautiful performances, both the soloists and the chorus - good phrasing, diction, and ensemble singing. However, I didn't realize before buying this CD that, as the liner notes say, "Neville Mariner's recording is based on the first London performance of 1743, and several numbers are markedly different from the more familiar later versions." Some pieces are sung by different voice parts, and others include bars of music that Handel cut or changed later. The most disappointing part for me was "But who may abide," (sung by bass instead of alto) which lacks the prestissimo "refiner's fire" section that most of us are used to (and which I really enjoy!) This would certainly be ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

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World of Sacred Music

Search: Hallelujah
by: Various Artists

Release Date February 02, 1993
The singers in this recording deliver beautiful performances, both the soloists and the chorus - good phrasing, diction, and ensemble singing. However, I didn't realize before buying this CD that, as the liner notes say, "Neville Mariner's recording is based on the first London performance of 1743, and several numbers are markedly different from the more familiar later versions." Some pieces are sung by different voice parts, and others include bars of music that Handel cut or changed later. The most disappointing part for me was "But who may abide," (sung by bass instead of alto) which lacks the prestissimo "refiner's fire" section that most of us are used to (and which I really enjoy!) This would certainly be ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

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Essential Handel

Search: Hallelujah
from: Double Decca

Release Date October 16, 1995
The singers in this recording deliver beautiful performances, both the soloists and the chorus - good phrasing, diction, and ensemble singing. However, I didn't realize before buying this CD that, as the liner notes say, "Neville Mariner's recording is based on the first London performance of 1743, and several numbers are markedly different from the more familiar later versions." Some pieces are sung by different voice parts, and others include bars of music that Handel cut or changed later. The most disappointing part for me was "But who may abide," (sung by bass instead of alto) which lacks the prestissimo "refiner's fire" section that most of us are used to (and which I really enjoy!) This would certainly be ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

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Ultimate Classics - The Essential Masterpieces

Search: Hallelujah
from: Decca

Release Date October 09, 2006
The singers in this recording deliver beautiful performances, both the soloists and the chorus - good phrasing, diction, and ensemble singing. However, I didn't realize before buying this CD that, as the liner notes say, "Neville Mariner's recording is based on the first London performance of 1743, and several numbers are markedly different from the more familiar later versions." Some pieces are sung by different voice parts, and others include bars of music that Handel cut or changed later. The most disappointing part for me was "But who may abide," (sung by bass instead of alto) which lacks the prestissimo "refiner's fire" section that most of us are used to (and which I really enjoy!) This would certainly be ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

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Handel: Messiah /Gritton · Röschmann · Fink · C Daniels · Davies · Gabrieli Consort & Players · McCreesh

Search: Hallelujah
by: Gabrieli Consort Gabrieli Players Paul McCreesh

Release Date August 09, 2004
I agree with the other reviewers in that there are some very good things in this recording, but the overall performance is, for me, very disappointing. It gets off to a bad start with the first recitative "Comfort ye" being taken at a funereal pace, and followed by "Ev'ry valley" sung as though the last train was due in a few minutes, and everyone had to be through in time to catch it! Other tempi are likewise somewhat, to say the least, unusual, and the setting of the words in the aria "The trumpet shall sound" is completely bizarre. The soloists are, on the whole, good, though soprano I is inferior to soprano II, and the contralto is variable. The orchestra and chorus are good, but it is the overall performance that, for me, is not satisfactory. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
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Classic FM Weddings 2008 (2 Discs)

Search: Hallelujah
by: Various Artists

Release Date April 14, 2008

Weddings 2008 is Classic FM's third compilation album of the year, a timely release to help with the music choices for the summer wedding season. It's the second of their Wedding `Best Of' collection (the last one was Music for Weddings in 2006) and this time the clever marketing people at Classic FM have helpfully divided the music into church music and civil music, recognising the confusion that can exist when deciding which music is allowed at each ceremony. Sacred music, of any religion, is forbidden by law to be played at a civil wedding while the registrar is present.

This is helpful, considering many pieces traditionally associated with church ceremonies, such as Mendelssohn's `Wedding March' which evokes images of the just-married ... Read More: