Disc. 1

1. Part I: Sinfonia 03:04

2. Part I: Accompanied recitative: Comfort ye, my people (Tenor) 03:16

3. Part I: Aria: Every valley shall be exalted (Tenor) 03:19

4. Part I: Chorus: And the glory of the Lord 02:32

5. Part I: Accompanied recitative: Thus saith the Lord of Hosts (Bass) 01:27

6. Part I: Aria: But who may abide the day of His coming (Countertenor) 04:31

7. Part I: Chorus: And He shall purify 02:32

8. Part I: Recitative: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son (Countertenor) 00:24

9. Part I: Aria and Chorus: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (Countertenor) 05:41

10. Part I: Accompanied recitative: For behold, darkness shall cover the earth (Bass) 02:11

11. Part I: Aria: The people that walked in darkness (Bass) 03:34

12. Part I: Chorus: For unto us a Child is born 03:52

13. Part I: Pifa 02:14

14. Part I: Accompanied recitative: There were shepherds abiding in the field (Trebles) 01:28

15. Part I: Chorus: Glory to God in the highest 02:15

16. Part I: Aria: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion (Tenor) 04:06

17. Part I: Recitative: Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened (Countertenor) 00:24

18. Part I: Aria: He shall feed His flock like a shepherd (Countertenor, Treble) 04:54

19. Part I: Chorus: His yoke is easy, His burthen is light 02:14

20. Part II: Chorus: Behold, the Lamb of God 02:55

21. Part II: Aria: He was despised and rejected of men (Countertenor) 12:21

Disc. 2

1. Part II: Chorus: Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows 02:03

2. Part II: Chorus: And with His stripes we are healed 01:55

3. Part II: Chorus: All we like sheep have gone astray 03:34

4. Part II: Accompanied recitative: All they that see Him, laugh Him to scorn (Tenor) 00:42

5. Part II: Chorus: He trusted in God that He would deliver Him 02:20

6. Part II: Accompanied recitative: Thy rebuke hath broken His heart (Tenor) 01:47

7. Part II: Aria: Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow (Tenor) 01:33

8. Part II: Accompanied recitative: He was cut off out of the land of the living (Treble) 00:18

9. Part II: Aria: But thou didst not leave His soul in hell (Treble) 01:59

10. Part II: Chorus: Lift up your heads, O ye gates 03:09

11. Part II: Recitative: Unto which of the angels said He at any time (Tenor) 00:19

12. Part II: Chorus: Let all the angels of God worship Him 01:40

13. Part II: Aria: Thou art gone up on high (Countertenor) 03:10

14. Part II: Chorus: The Lord gave the word 01:12

15. Part II: Aria: How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace (Treble) 02:18

16. Part II: Chorus: Their sound is gone out into all lands 01:32

17. Part II: Aria: Why do the nations so furiously rage together (Bass) 02:49

18. Part II: Chorus: Let us break their bonds asunder 01:53

19. Part II: Recitative: He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn (Tenor) 00:10

20. Part II: Aria: Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron (Tenor) 02:17

21. Part II: Chorus: Hallelujah 03:58

22. Part III: Aria: I know that my redeemer liveth (Treble) 05:49

23. Part III: Chorus: Since by man came death 02:04

24. Part III: Accompanied recitative: Behold, I tell you a mystery (Bass) 00:38

25. Part III: Aria: The trumpet shall sound (Bass) 08:38

26. Part III: Recitative: Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written (Countertenor) 00:16

27. Part III: Duet: O death, where is thy sting (Countertenor and Tenor) 01:06

28. Part III: Chorus: But thanks be to God 02:11

29. Part III: Aria: If God is for us, who can be against us (Countertenor) 04:52

30. Part III: Chorus: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain 03:18

31. Part III: Chorus: Amen 03:35

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
낙소스에서 두 번째로 선보이는 헨델의 걸작 오라토리오 '메시아'.
1742년 더블린 초연본을 복원했던 스콜라스 바로크 앙상블과 달리 이번 신보는 남성들만으로 연주에 임했던 1751년 런던공연 버전을 재현하였다. 합창단의 소프라노와 알토파트는 물론, 솔로 아리아들 역시도 보이소프라노와 카운터테너들이 담당한 이 연주는 유구한 영국 합창음악의 전통을 가장 충실하게 반영했다는 의의 또한 지닌다.
소프라노 아리아를 분담한 세 명의 보이소프라노를 필두로 옥스퍼드 뉴 칼리지 합창단이 들려주는 투명한 발성이 아름다우며, 호그우드 음반 이후 오랜만에 메시아의 반주를 맡은 고음악 아카데미의 충실한 관현악반주 역시 충실하다.