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SITE RATING:  7/10 SITE REVIEW:  Karl Forster's 1961 Der Messias is a richly produced, handsomely mounted production, with lush playing provided by the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, and the Choir of St. Hedwigs-Kathedrale Berlin providing sturdy support.  The natural acoustics (there are no notes as to where this was recorded) help tremendously in the blend, and the soloists and combined forces sound very large and impressive, indeed.  The soloists are weighty: tenor Josef Traxel and bass Kieth Engen both giving tremendous power to their moments, with Engen especially operatic and commanding.  Soprano Ingrid Bjoner has a wonderful cheery tone, lightening the mood considerably with her presence, and alto Hertha Topper giving a rich, dramatic performance - "acting" the part as if she were in a Verdi opera.  In fact Forster attacks the oratorio exactly as if it were an opera, which, considering Handel's credentials, is a valid approach; Forster brings out a multitude of dramatic colors, and milks each moment for all its worth.  But this is Handel, not Verdi, and the thick, operatic flavor here is a bit too pronounced - the tempos are very slow indeed, and the entire performance has a heaviness and gravitas that's strips many moments of their joyfulness - "O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion" for example, lumbers along at a snail's pace, feeling blocked and square rather than jubilant.  This recording is perhaps most directly comparable to Georg Solti's 1985 Messiah in its sensibilities, but Solti's reading is so much more accessible, so much warmer that, although it too features operatic players, it's much preferable to this recording.  To sum up, while this is obviously a first-class collection of artists, and the recorded sound itself stands up well against others of its era, its slow, heavy tempos undercut the finer, burnished qualities of the artists.  Worth seeking out if you enjoy the slower-is-better operatic approach.

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