Haendel : Messiah. Gauvin, Taurins.

   in Early Music Today (Mar, 2013)
This recording of Messiah is based on live concerts in Toronto in 2011. Tafelmusik’s leader and director of 30 years, Jeanne Lamon, unfailingly drawing warm and mellifluous sounds from strings and wind, alike. It is unfussy, allowing the music to do its own persuading and is mainly complemented by affecting solo vocal and ripieno contributions. My only reservation concerns Brett Polegato whose characterful singing is not invariably as tonally reliable as that of the other soloists. My chief delight derives from Karina Gauvin and Rufus Miller, both of them accomplished Handelians. Robin Blaze phrases gracefully, but sounds underpowered. In summary, perhaps not a perfect Messiah, but one in which listeners will …