I sang the Elijah in college more than five decades ago and can still sing along all the choruses from memory. During the time since I have listened to every major recorded release. When I first wrote this review several months ago, I was comparing my vinyl set, purchased when it was first released in the 1960's, with the recent Terfel/Daniel CD release. Since then I lost my vinyl set in a fire and replaced it with the CD release shown here. With the ability to make quick A/B comparisons on the same sound system, I have reached some different evaluations.

I still think this recording is the most musically satisfying--except for the lead part of Elijah. The recent London release with Bryn Terfel is a close second overall, but Terfel is far superior to Fischer-Diskau as Elijah. In general outline, the Frübeck de Burgos version is more musical, the Daniel version is more dramatic. Frübeck de Burgos is a musician's musician, exploring and defining the inner details of the score with great care where Daniel shows more interest in the dramatic force of the whole. The diction in this version is excellent. The words can be understood plainly in most of the sections, even the heavy choral parts. In the Daniel version one has to already know the music, or have a text at hand, in order to know what is going on. (Fortunately, the complete text is provided with the Daniel version.) Renee Fleming and Gwyneth Jones are a tossup. Nicolai Gedda is wonderful here, far more satisfying than either of the tenors in the Terfel/Daniel performance. I think there has never been a better performance of the aria, "If with all your hearts..." I have always loved Janet Baker's work, and I think she was at her best in this performance. The contraltos in the Daniel performance are adequate, but not great. The big difference, the one that really tips the scale, is the comparison between Terfel and Fischer-Diskau. After listening to Terfel's convincing dramatic vigor, the polite presentation by Fischer-Diskau fell flat in my ears. Particularly his German accent really bothered me, as did his too-precise diction, spitting the words out with great care. Beyond the disappointing Fischer-Diskau presentation, every nuance of this recording is resoundingly wonderful, and with this excellent transfer to the CD medium, this release should continue to outshine all others in total performance.

The Elijah is not an easy piece to conduct. Compared to the Messiah, for example, which almost sings itself after you decide on the tempi and on the type and degree of ornamentation, the Elijah demands that the conductor remain in absolute control at all times, else the music can easily run away with itself. The choruses are complex and easily become mushy if not carefully managed. Frühbeck de Burgos is in total command at all times--with a superb sense of musical phrasing and balance in every detail.

The use of a boy's choir is a delightful contrast to the surrounding heavy choir parts. The diction is precise without feeling affected (other than Fischer-Diskau's, which is badly overdone in many places). The intonations are perfect in all parts.

I would recommend every serious lover of this music to have both this recording and the newer one by Paul Daniel with Bryn Terfel, and to go back and forth between them for their respective strengths.