Messiah

Featuring a fine—if somewhat idiosyncratic—performance of Handel's beloved oratorio, Messiah finds Marc Minkowski leading his splendid original-instrument group Les Musiciens du Louvre, along with their affiliated chorus and no fewer than eight soloists—two sopranos, an alto, a mezzo, a counter-tenor, a tenor, a baritone, and a bass—in a spirited reading of the score. Although the tempos are at times so jaunty one fears things might unravel, both singers and players are agile enough to meet the demands. Unfortunately, director William Klein's approach is to use the music as a backdrop for a flashy visual commentary on faith in modern society. Occasionally the camera shows the musicians performing, but more often Klein prefers shots of religious ceremonies, prison life, street violence, and other activities, juxtaposed with the scriptural text set by Handel and emblazoned on the screen, often to clumsy effect: i.e., scenes of Las Vegas casinos appear in conjunction with the words “Behold Your God!” (at times the singers are placed in unusual locales, too—as when the tenor sings his first aria wearing walking shorts and gesticulating in the middle of a desert). Worse, Klein occasionally breaks into Minkowski's performance to insert a few moments of singing by a police or prison chorus or a gospel choir—which means that you can't even turn off the visuals and just enjoy the music. The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is fine, but this can't seriously be preferred to standard readings of the work, and Klein's visuals aren't revelatory enough to stand on their own. Not recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)