Wholesale Handel – The Messiah Excerpts 1 – Sutherland, Bumbry, McKellar, Ward – Sir Adrian Boult – Decca

30 cm record, 33 rpm stereo, issued by Decca (ref. SXL 2316, Artistique collection). Choirs and London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Chorus master John McCarthy. Made in France, Decca Paris. Excerpts from Handel's Messiah, first volume. Side 1. Comfort ye my people, Ev'ry valley and the glory of the Lord. Behold a virgin shall conceive, O thou that tallest. Rejoice greatly. He was despised. He that dwelleth in heaven. Hallelujah. Side 2. Why do the nations. He that dwelleth in heaven, Thou shalt break them. I know that my Redeemer liveth. Worthy is the lamb, Amen. An absolutely prestigious cast. Joan Sutherland, Australian soprano, was at that time the most famous lyric voice in the world, nicknamed "La Stupenda" by the La Scala audience. Grace Bumbry, American contralto, brings a dark velvety voice of rare depth. Kenneth McKellar, Scottish tenor, gives each phrase a line of singing of clear, limpid beauty. David Ward, British bass, completes an exceptional quartet of soloists. Sir Adrian Boult, one of the great conductors in the history of the BBC and the London Philharmonic, conducts with that quiet authority and deep knowledge of the English repertoire that make for enduring recordings. Decca is one of the most important record companies in the history of recorded classical music. Founded in London in 1929, it established itself from the 1950s as the absolute reference for sound quality, thanks to its proprietary recording process, "Full Frequency Range Recording" (ffrr), and later stereo. The "Artistique" series, to which this record belongs, gathers the prestige recordings of the Decca catalogue, with carefully designed sleeves and superior pressing quality. The Decca SXL editions of the 1960s are now sought after by audiophiles worldwide for the exceptional quality of their analog sound. The cover, sober and majestic, reproduces a Romanesque stone bas-relief, Christ in Majesty, on a Decca turquoise background. The back presents very detailed program notes in French, after Julius Herbage. Protective plastic present. Record and cover well preserved for their age.