
01) Sony Classical 48045 / Bernstein - Raskin, Young, Reardon
02) Decca 480 4716 / Munchinger - Ameling, Spoorenberg, Krenn, Krause
03) DGG 437 380 / Markevitch - Seefried, Holm, Borg
04) DGG 449 761 / Karajan - Janowitz, Ludwig, Fischer-Dieskau, Wunderlich (w/Krenn substituted for Wunderlich after death)
05) DGG 474 919 / Bernstein/VPO - Blegen, Fassbaender, Popp, Ahnsjo
06) DGG 477 055 / Karajan (Live) - Janowitz, Wunderlich, Prey, Borg
07) DGG 477 9767 / Levine - Battle, Windbergh, Moll
08) EMI 5842 / Marriner - Bonney, Wiens, Blochwitz, Rootering
09) Philips 446 175 / Jochum - Giebel, Kmentt, Frick
10) Disky 705762 / Foster - Grummer, Traxel, Frick
11) Phonographe 5029/30 / C. Krauss/VPO - Eipperle, Patzak, Hann
12) Telarc 80298 / Shaw - Upshaw, Humphrey, Cheek, Grant-Murphy
13) Vox 5025 / Gonnenwein - Donath, Widmer, A-Kraus, V-Scherr
14) Vox 7086 / Horenstein - Coertse, Patzak, Ernster
15) EMI 75929 / Willcocks - Harper, Tear, Shirley-Quirk
16) L'Oiseau-Lyre/Decca 430 397 /Hogwood - Kirkby, Rolfe Johnson, M-George
17) DGG-Archiv 449 217 / Gardiner -McNair, D-Brown, Schade, Finley
18) Decca 443 027 / Dorati - Popp, Hollweg, K-Moll, Döse, Luxon
There are about 70 performances available on recordings, and probably more if one considers the cutouts made of various versions over the years. It matters not if the oratorio is sung in English or German, but of course, the conducting/orchestra/soloists/chorus count for everything. Lately, it's been the Marriner/Bonney-Wiens-Blochwitz-Rootering version I've been imbibing, along with the Vox/Gonnenwein-Donath-Widmer-Kraus-Scherr version. In the Vox, Alabert Kraus, tenor, does a superb job of Uriel ... a singer whom I know not much about. Wiens and Bonney do beautifully in the EMI version. Otherwise, the Telarc/Shaw is probably the best version on recordings if you prefer hearing it in English.
One on Orfeo I am not familiar with, conducted by Rafael Kubelik, which interests me quite a lot. Anybody know this particular recording, and how do you judge it? Another one of great interest would be on Decca with Dorati, who has done much for the music of Haydn in the way of symphonies and opera. It almost seems necessary to acquire this oratorio under his direction. Comments on this one?