Handel's Messiah

George Frederick Handel composed Messiah: A Sacred Oratorio during a 3-week period in the summer of 174.  He did so in the genre of English theater concert oratorio that he developed. The music was set to the text of a libretto comprised of Scripture verses compiled by Charles Jennens from the 1611 Authorized Version of the English Bible, the Great Bible of 1539, and the Book of Common Prayer. It was presented in three acts of about 3 hours duration with 2 intermissions, as would have been expected then by audiences attending one of Handel’s Italian Operas. Part 1 concerns the prophecies of Christ’s coming and birth. Part 2 deals with the events of Christ’s crucifixion, His suffering and death, and His resurrection and Second Coming. Part 3 is a commentary on the role of Christ as the Savior.

 

Messiah was first performed in the Music Hall on Fishamble Street in Dublin, Ireland in April 1742. It is not known if Handel completed Messiah specifically for performance during his trip to Ireland, or if he had originally intended it for the following season in London. Initially, the Deans and Chapters of the Cathedrals would not permit their church choirs to participate in the performance of Messiah until it became a charitable event. This began the long-standing traditions of Messiah performances as being charitable events with volunteer choirs for the chorus.

 

Finally, on March 23, 1743, Handel performed the Messiah in London at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. An apparent controversy arose not about the Messiah performance itself, but about whether a sacred piece of music should be performed in a secular venue.  This can be attributed to the fact that religion in Britain was going through a period almost as turbulent as the Protestant Reformation had been some 180 years before.

 

Due to poor health, Handel did not perform Messiah during the 1744 season, but its revival and performance during Lent at the Haymarket Theatre in 1745 did not experience the controversy it had in 1743. Messiah was performed only once between 1745 and its second revival at Covent Garden and the charitable performances at the Foundling Hospital in 1749. Annual performances at the Foundling Hospital just after Easter became a tradition.

 

Handel’s Messiah and Samson were the only Oratorios he composed that were written to be performed with just four soloists: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass. Handel used these as well as mezzo-sopranos, contraltos, boy sopranos, male altos, and counter tenors. Until 1750, at which point his failing eyesight prevented it, Handel constantly made revisions to Messiah: re-compositions, transpositions, additions, and deletions to accommodate changes in soloists, musician skills, and venues.

​

Even before Handel’s death, Messiah was beginning to be performed apart from Handel.  These performances likely used manuscript scores until the full score was published in 1767, making Messiah accessible to the public.  Over time, commemorative performances expanded in both the number of choral participants and the size of the orchestra.  With changing instrumentation, instrumental parts were strengthened with the addition of oboes, bassoons, and French horns, flutes, clarinets, trombones, tympani, and trumpets. Mozart made the most dramatic changes by translating the Messiah into German, filling in string parts and revising trumpet parts to better match the improved instruments of the day.

 

Throughout the nineteenth century, commemorative performances sometimes included as many as 10,000 musicians, comprising both the chorus and orchestra. Large musical groups presented logistical challenges; they required extensive venues, multiple conductors, and may have impacted performance quality. After World War I began, the huge performances declined in number with the smaller choral group presentations common today becoming the norm. Today's rendition of Messiah retains many elements from Handel's original version, despite some differences. It continues to be as much a source of beauty and spiritual inspiration as when first composed by Handel.

 

The Sarasota Choral Society performs Messiah as published by G. Schirmer. The Choral Society annually performs what is known as the Christmas version of the Messiah, which is comprised of those sections that deal with the prophecies and the birth of Christ including the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’, to “kick-off” the celebrations of the Holiday Season.

 

Many people ask why we do not perform the “full” Messiah. Traditionally, the “full” Messiah is performed during a period either just before or after Easter where the full import and meaning of the work becomes even more appropriate and can be more fully appreciated. Some concert-goers today feel that a three and a half hour performance is too long, making them less likely to buy tickets. And ticket sales and member dues are what allow The Sarasota Choral Society to deliver Sarasota and Bradenton’s largest and longest running production of Handel’s Messiah.

 

Whether you are a fan of Handel, are moved by sacred music, or just enjoy listening to magnificent classical music professionally presented, we invite you to join us at our next presentation of Handel’s Messiah. Or if you prefer a more active role, join us in the chorus as a Sarasota Choral Society member. Information on both may be found in the appropriate sections of this website.

​​​​