Handel: Messiah (Dublin Version, 1742)

Recently released on Linn, Dunedin Consort's recording of the 1742 Dublin version of "Messiah" - Handel adjusted the allocation of arias according to the performers - is one of the most intimate "Messiahs" available. The choruses are sung by only 12 singers, and though the "multitude of the heavenly host" sounds like a madrigal group, it is fascinating to hear Handel's textures so clearly. (Linn)