Messiah
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What is the oratorio 'Messiah'?
Messiah is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel, first performed in Dublin in 1742. The text was compiled by Charles Jennens from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Book of Revelation. The oratorio is divided into three parts: Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah’s birth; New Testament stories of Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection; and verses relating to Judgment Day.
The "Hallelujah Chorus" occurs at the close of part two. Other familiar choruses include "For Unto Us a Child Is Born," "All We Like Sheep," and "Worthy Is the Lamb." Well-known solos include "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion," "I Know that My Redeemer Liveth," "O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion," "If God Be for Us," "Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted," "Why Do the Nations so Furiously Rage," and "The Trumpet Shall Sound".
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Who composed 'Messiah' and when was it first performed?
"Messiah" is an oratorio composed by George Frideric Handel, a German-born English composer. It premiered in Dublin on April 13, 1742. The verses for the text were assembled by Handel’s friend Charles Jennens from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Book of Revelation.
The oratorio is a large-scale, semidramatic work for chorus, soloists, and orchestra and is the source of the familiar "Hallelujah Chorus." "Messiah" is the most frequently performed of all oratorios.
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What is an oratorio, and how is it different from an opera?
An oratorio is a large musical composition for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra, typically based on scripture. Narration moves the story forward, using recitatives sung by various voices to set up arias and choruses.
Operas are theatrical, while oratorios are concert pieces. George Frideric Handel synthesized the English oratorio from Italian and German forms. His Messiah premiered in Dublin in 1742. The text comes from the Old and New Testaments. Though Handel's oratorios reflect his experience composing operas, ecclesiastical rules at the time forbade stage action.
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What are the main themes and stories told in 'Messiah'?
George Frideric Handel's oratorio Messiah is divided into three parts with verses assembled by Charles Jennens from the Bible.
- Part One: Prophecies of the Messiah’s birth from the Old Testament and stories of Christ's birth from the New Testament.
- Part Two: Focuses on Christ’s death and resurrection. The familiar "Hallelujah Chorus" appears at the close.
- Part Three: Verses relating to Judgment Day, with the final chorus text drawn from the Book of Revelation.
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What is special about the 'Hallelujah Chorus' in 'Messiah'?
The "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah, an oratorio that premiered in Dublin in 1742, is especially known for its instrumental support, which was unusually bold for the Baroque era. The chorus closes the second part of the oratorio. Musically, it combines harmony and complexity, blending chords that support a single melody with equally important melodies played simultaneously. The final pages build a fugue on the phrase "And he shall reign".
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How has 'Messiah' influenced music and culture over the years?
Premiering in Dublin in 1742, George Frideric Handel's Messiah is the most frequently performed oratorio of all time. The work is a large-scale, semidramatic composition for chorus, soloists, and orchestra, featuring the well-known "Hallelujah Chorus".
Messiah employs verses assembled by Charles Jennens from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Book of Revelation. After a successful debut, Messiah gained popularity in London, becoming a favorite of King George II.
Handel's Messiah has had a lasting influence, becoming a staple in choral music and a reflection of English national character.
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Messiah, oratorio by German-born English composer George Frideric Handel, premiered in Dublin on April 13, 1742, at Easter rather than at Christmastime, when it is popularly played in the present day. A large-scale semidramatic work for chorus, soloists, and orchestra, it is the source of the familiar “Hallelujah Chorus.” Messiah is by far the most frequently performed of all oratorios.
The verses used as text for Messiah were assembled by Handel’s friend Charles Jennens, a wealthy supporter of the arts. They were drawn from three parts of the Bible: Old Testament prophesies of the Messiah’s birth; New Testament stories of the birth of Christ, his death, and his resurrection; and verses relating ultimately to Judgment Day, with the final chorus text drawn from the Book of Revelation.
Messiah was a triumphant success at its Irish premiere, perhaps in part because the composer had been in town for most of the winter offering a concert series that attracted considerable attention to his music. The work found less favour in London until 1748, when a somewhat less conservative bishop of London was appointed. Anecdotes of the day suggest that it became a particular favourite of King George II, who had been Handel’s patron in Hannover before becoming king of England.
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The oratorio’s “Hallelujah Chorus” occurs at the close of part two. Its instrumental support is unusually bold for the Baroque era. However, the musical structure combines the favoured techniques of the day, as the choral parts are sometimes blended in homophonic harmony (with chords supporting a single melody at a time) but just as frequently in polyphonic complexity (with simultaneous and equally important melodies). Its final pages build a fugue on the phrase “And he shall reign.”
Many of the choruses in the oratorio feature a similar blending of musical textures, with homophonic and polyphonic passages appearing in turn. Other familiar choruses include “For Unto Us a Child Is Born” (part one), “All We Like Sheep” (part two), and the concluding chorus of the entire work, “Worthy Is the Lamb” (part three).
Well-known solos include the festive “Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion” (part one) and the more-reflective “I Know that My Redeemer Liveth” (part three) for soprano, the alto’s joyful “O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion” (part one) and serene “If God Be for Us” (part three), the tenor’s exuberant “Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted” (part one), and two boldly assertive arias for bass, “Why Do the Nations so Furiously Rage” (part two) and “The Trumpet Shall Sound” (part three).
Handel’s score calls for a typical Baroque orchestra of a few dozen players, largely strings and woodwinds, with only minimal brass and percussion, along with a small, though skillful, chorus. Not until after his death did immensely scaled performances become popular. As early as 1784, in a festival commemorating the composer’s centenary (a year premature, as it turns out), Westminster Abbey presented the oratorio with 60 sopranos, 48 countertenors, 83 tenors, 84 basses, 6 flutes, 26 oboes, 26 bassoons, 1 contrabassoon, 12 horns, 12 trumpets, 6 trombones, 157 strings, assorted percussion, and an organ. Some 19th-century performances brought thousands to the stage.
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