Handel: Messiah, HWV 56

Our Charles Mackerras retrospective continues with an early milestone of the Messiah discography, featuring the vanguard of classical singing (Janet Baker, Elizabeth Harwood, Robert Tear, Paul Esswood). This pioneering recording was the earliest to be based on Basil Lam’s edition, which revolutionized the interpretation of Baroque oratorios by emphasizing ornamentation (in keeping with 18th-century practice) and the rhythmic spirit of the era.