Discovering Handel's Messiah

By John Halford

Handel was German by birth, but had spent many years in Italy, where he had learned to write operas. By 1738 he already had about 40 to his name. He settled in London, and soon became England’s most popular and successful composer.

Composers like Handel were the Steven Spielbergs and Andrew Lloyd Webbers of their day. In 18th-century London, opera, and especially Italian opera, was all the rage. Fame and fortune awaited those who could satisfy the popular demand. Handel knew how to do that.

But show business, then as now, is a fickle and capricious trade. By 1740, the public’s appetite for opera had begun to wane. Handel had exhausted his popularity and much of his finances by writing and staging two fiascos that played for only four nights before being laughed off the stage. With his reputation in tatters, and facing bankruptcy, his career seemed over.

At this low point in his life, a former colleague, Charles Jennens, sent him an idea for a new composition. Jennens was what today would be considered a scriptwriter, composing the libretto (i.e., the words) of operas and other long vocal works.

What Jennens was proposing was an oratorio. The laws of the time did not allow the performance of religious drama on stage. An oratorio got around this. It is, like opera, an extended musical work, usually with a religious theme. Although based on biblical texts, it is staged without scenery or costumes, and the performers do not play specific roles. In modern terms you could say it was more of a documentary than a play.

Jennens’ libretto skillfully blended Old and New Testament scriptures to tell the story of Jesus Christ from the earliest prophecies of his birth to his triumphant resurrection and return. He called it The Messiah.

The idea appealed to Handel. Thus began the incredible three weeks of creative energy. The popular legend has it that he shut himself up in his room, forgetting about food or sleep. His servants would find him in a trance, with tears streaming down his face, totally wrapped in inspiration. When he finished the "Hallelujah Chorus," the story goes, Handel was reported to have said "I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the Great God Himself."

Some serious students of Handel’s life wonder if this story is somewhat romanticized. We may never know for sure. It may be that The Messiah was produced more mundanely, although with an unusual display of disciplined and applied concentration.

The Messiah premiered on April 13, 1742, and was an immediate success.

Handel’s fame and fortune was restored. He went on to compose many more oratorios before his death in April 1759. But nothing surpassed the genius and inspiration of The Messiah.

When you think of The Messiah, it is probably the famous arias and choruses that come to mind. Why not treat yourself to the whole thing? It lasts about two and a half hours. That may seem rather intimidating if you are not used to listening to classical music, but it is an investment you won’t regret. You can borrow the tapes or a CD from your library, or look out for a performance in your local area, or on radio. They are quite popular at this time of year.

People who have known only the highlights are often deeply moved when they first experience the entire Messiah in context. Why not discover for yourself how Handel’s masterpiece can lift your spirits and fill you with hope?

We have prepared a Listeners’ Guide that will help you follow the performance and know where you are as the story unfolds.

Unlike a play, an oratorio is performed without scenery or costumes. The composer tells his story with a combination of songs (called arias) and choruses. There are also short recitatives, between the arias and choruses to advance the story line and provide continuity.

Here are the arias, choruses and recitatives of the Messiah, in order, with the scriptural references on which they are based.