McCreesh turns his customary period scholarship to the forces of the orchestra…using rare instruments such as ophicleides, slide trumpets, serpents and tower drums to enrich the orchestral texture. For all their vast size, the orchestra never feels unwieldy or cumbersome; instead it is remarkable just how flexible, even transparent at times the texture can sound. The strings, employing gut instruments without vibrato, are especially strong, evidenced nowhere more brilliantly than in their wilting, mournful accompaniment to Elijah’s Part Two aria, “It is enough”. The brass and percussion are also sensational in the big climaxes. McCreesh welds the whole ensemble together with the focus and sheer conviction that carries the whole project.

The soloists are also top drawer. Simon Keenlyside is a poetic, troubled Elijah…He is powerfully moving during the crisis of Part Two, but even in the dramatic moments, such as the confrontation with the prophets of Baal, there is profound lyricism in his singing which I found entirely convincing. He sings “It is enough” with such wonderful poignancy. The accompaniment from a solo oboe is sensational. He is partnered by appropriately heavenly sounding female soloists. Rosemary Joshua is particularly thrilling. Her bright soprano is put to ethereal use in Part Two and blends wonderfully with Sarah Connolly in the duets and trios. Connolly herself uses her lovely mezzo to great effect, contrasting effectively with her colleagues. Her finest moment is in “Woe unto them” at the end of Part One, pouring down balm after the slaughter of the prophets of Baal.

…this is worth every bit as much praise as McCreesh’s Berlioz. Let’s hope there’s a lot more to come. © 2012 MusicWeb International Read complete review

Paul McCreesh uses a team of up to eight members of the Gabrieli Consort to sing such numbers as ‘For He shall give his angels’ and ‘Cast they burden’. They do very well indeed. One other singer has to be mentioned: treble Jonty Ward. He has the small yet crucial role of the Youth near the end of Part I and he does a really first-class job. He’s clear and accurate and shows excellent breath control. Furthermore, his pitching is spot-on. This must be a pressure role for a young singer but he carries it off with aplomb.

…the very first entry, “Help, Lord”, is tremendously powerful and full-toned. However, what really impresses is how flexible and responsive this large choir is. Never once did I feel that the choir is unwieldy or too loud. So, for example, in ‘He watching over Israel’ you’re conscious that a big choir is singing, not least because the tone is so satisfyingly full, but it doesn’t sound at all heavy, not least because the tempo flows so well, and the soft dynamics are very well managed. For me, one chorus in particular vindicated McCreesh’s decision to use such a large choir and, oddly, it’s not one of the more celebrated choruses. It’s the chorus ‘Holy, holy, holy is God the Lord’ in Part II. Firstly, the contrast between the main chorus and the four female voices who sing as Seraphs is just fabulous—the Seraphs sing first and then the full choir entry, though only marked forte, is magnificent. Secondly, as the chorus progresses Mendelssohn makes great play with dynamic contrasts, not just between the Seraphs and the main choir but between different main choir phrases. I can’t recall ever hearing this done so well. 

The chorus delivers ‘The fire descends from heaven’ (Part I) with great vigour and yet the singers achieve marvellous clarity. The chorus that ends Part I—‘Thanks be to God’—is splendidly joyful. Not only is the singing magnificent but also the orchestra really plays its part: the bass line of the accompaniment registers really tellingly, especially during and after the passage that begins at “But the Lord”. This is one of the passages where the organ is really marvellous. I’ve never enjoyed this chorus so much…the final chorus is hugely impressive; after a sonorous opening the fugue is exmore....