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Practice dictation & shadowing on the daily life story: Handel’s “Messiah”
Handel’s “Messiah”
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Handel's Messiah,
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George Frederick Handel was a native of Germany and spoke with a German accent all his life.
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Most of that life, however, was spent in London, England as a young musician.
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Handel's sponsor was the Elector of Hanover.
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Later on, when the Elector became King George, the First of England, he continued to sponsor Handel.
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The young Handel went to Italy to study opera.
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Opera had become a very fashionable entertainment for the upper classes.
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Handel traveled to England in 1711 and made an immediate success with his operas.
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Queen Anne granted him a royal pension for life in 1713.
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Because of this initial success, Handel tried to start a permanent opera company in London, but this failed and Handel lost money.
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Since operas used full stage settings with costume, scenery and props, they were expensive to produce.
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Handel decided to produce oratorios in which the parts were simply sung without actions.
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On August 22nd, 1741, Handel began to work on his oratorio, The Messiah.
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The text was made-up of passages from the Bible relating to the birth, life and death of Jesus.
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Handel worked on it feverishly, missing meals and going without sleep.
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He finished it 24 days later when he was asked how he felt on completing it, Handel said.
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I thought I saw all heaven before me and the great God himself.
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In the fall of 1741, Handel received an invitation from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to present operas and concerts there.
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Handel traveled from London to Dublin with his entire luggage and many of his singers.
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However, in order to rehearse on the way, he had to hire local people to fill in.
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Once the composer soundly criticized 1 local singer who failed to meet his standards,
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Handel was warmly received in Dublin where his concerts were sold out.
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Even his rehearsals were considered newsworthy by the local papers.
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The Messiah was first publicly performed on April 13th.
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1742700 people squeezed into a 600 seat theater to hear it.
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A notice had requested that ladies attend in hoopla skirts and that gentlemen come without their swords.
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A Dublin paper reported words are wanting to express the exquisite delight it afforded to the admiring, crowded audience.
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All proceeds were donated to charity, as the church choirs had refused to participate except on those conditions.
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Handel returned to London in August 1742 and prepared the oratorio for the London stage.
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The Messiah made its London debut on March 23rd, 1743, with King George the second in the audience.
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It was during the Hallelujah Chorus that the King jumped to his feet and so initiated A tradition that has lasted ever since.
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With such oratories, Handel was able to reestablish his popularity and restore his finances.
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In London, the Messiah continued to be performed after conducting it on April 6th, 1759, the old composer collapsed and had to be carried home.
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He died eight days later.
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The Messiah remains Handel's most popular work, combining wonderful music with inspiring religious sentiments.
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The biblical text speaks of hope and salvation, and the music allows the text to soar into angelic songs.