the creation and the messiah

[tanzemakama]

the messiah seems to be the most popular but can i have have your vies on which oratorio is the greater?

[tanzemakama]

oops, spelling mistake, i meant your views.

[Sorrano]

I would favor Messiah over The Creation, but instead I think I will just enjoy them equally. Haydn's oratorios were influenced by Handel, so there is correlation between the two.

[Peter]

Originally posted by Sorrano:
I would favor Messiah over The Creation, but instead I think I will just enjoy them equally. Haydn's oratorios were influenced by Handel, so there is correlation between the two.

Overall I prefer Messiah, but there are some superb choruses in The Creation, not least the wonderful 'Heavens are telling'.

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'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Originally posted by tanzemakama:
the messiah seems to be the most popular but can i have have your vies on which oratorio is the greater?

Messiah, but Handel wrote a few other oratorios at least as good or even better than Messiah that are largely unknown to the general public. Check out in paticular Saul, Israel in Egypt, Solomon, Jephtha and Handel's own (and my) favourite, Theodora.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[gprengel]

The Messiah by far is better musically and especially in it's spiritual power. It's about the only oratorium where every part is truly great music. In all other oratoriums I know there are only some parts which have a comparable quality. Of these I find Solomon the most expressive with one of the most overwhelming chorusses I know ("Praise the Lord").

Also I highly would recommend the "Dettinger TeDeum" which I love very, very much!

[Rod]

Originally posted by gprengel:
The Messiah by far is better musically and especially in it's spiritual power. It's about the only oratorium where every part is truly great music. In all other oratoriums I know there are only some parts which have a comparable quality. Of these I find Solomon the most expressive with one of the most overwhelming chorusses I know ("Praise the Lord").

Also I highly would recommend the "Dettinger TeDeum" which I love very, very much!

'Praise the Lord' from Solomon is indeed colossal and overwhelming, I think no choral movement after matched this piece in these respects until Beethoven's Missa Solemnis was written. I was totaly blown away when I first heard it (McCreesh's recording on Archive, which I can recommend). Yet all we hear from Solomon today is the 'Queen of Sheeba' introduction, not particularly a stand out piece when you hear the whole oratorio.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Rod]

Originally posted by gprengel:
The Messiah by far is better musically and especially in it's spiritual power. It's about the only oratorium where every part is truly great music. In all other oratoriums I know there are only some parts which have a comparable quality. Of these I find Solomon the most expressive with one of the most overwhelming chorusses I know ("Praise the Lord").

Also I highly would recommend the "Dettinger TeDeum" which I love very, very much!

May i add that if the direction and the performance were of a good standard there are dozens of works by Handel that have as consistent a quality as Messiah. Even with Messiah this is a work that is usually performed in an awful manner. I have heard only one CD that comes close to realising the best the piece has to offer, by Pinnock on Archiv label.

I agree about the Te Deum which is another piece packed with hits, but consider the odes too, of which 'Alexander's Feast' and 'L'Allegro, il penseroso ed il mederato' are in particular worthy to be said in the same sentence as Messiah.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Johan]

Originally posted by Rod:
May i add that if the direction and the performance were of a good standard there are dozens of works by Handel that have as consistent a quality as Messiah. Even with Messiah this is a work that is usually performed in an awful manner. I have heard only one CD that comes close to realising the best the piece has to offer, by Pinnock on Archiv label.

I agree about the Te Deum which is another piece packed with hits, but consider the odes too, of which 'Alexander's Feast' and 'L'Allegro, il penseroso ed il mederato' are in particular worthy to be said in the same sentence as Messiah.

Händel choruses are of course tremendous in impact! But his are also many touching parts. I name only one thing (not a choral one): Nisi Dominus, Beatus vir qui implevit desiderium...
And yes, I personally prefer of these GREAT works Messiah.