Messiah program notes

There are moments of drama and action, particularly the depictions of the crucifixion in Part Two, but so much of Messiah is contemplative and reflective. Finding the balance between these contrasting moods is central to a convincing performance.

His depiction of words and actions is visceral, almost cinematic at times. The overture is subtle and understated, symbolizing the solemnity of the story and preparing the listener for what will follow.

The opening movements depict the prophecy of Christ with music that is joyous and bright, expectant and anticipatory. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. This image of darkness to light permeates so much of the piece and this moment is one of the first graphic allusions to that idea. Handel exquisitely contrasts the gloriousness of heaven with earthly simplicity.

The violins close the scene with soft, delicate, cheeky trills as the angels scurry back to heaven. Part Two opens with Christ nailed to the cross. The solo tenor also takes centre stage during the Passion texts, surely an homage to the Bach Passions which feature a solo tenor as Evangelist.

A particularly powerful moment in Messiah comes next: the chorus acts as a mob taunting and teasing Jesus on the cross with sarcasm and bitterness. They ask, if he really was King of the Jews why would God not rescue him now? After their angry rant, the mob abandons Jesus and leaves him alone and helpless.

The tenor sings;. He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man, neither found He any to comfort him. The contrast here is powerful. The violence of the previous chorus is followed by stillness and silence. One cannot help but feel an overwhelming sense of compassion and sorrow in this moment. The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep.

Other famous pieces by Handel include other choral works, such as the Coronation Anthems and orchestral works, including the Water Music and The Music for the Royal Fireworks and many concerti grossi.

Handel was born in Halle, Germany in — the same year as two other Baroque masters, Johann Sebastian Bach and Domenico Scarlatti although they never met, Handel and Bach share another interesting connection: both died after unsuccessful cataract surgery performed by the same surgeon, John Taylor, who has gone down in history as a medical charlatan.

Bowing to parental pressure, Handel enrolled in law school, but soon dropped out to become a professional musician, working for the Hamburg Opera Theater, first as a violinist and harpsichordist, and later as a composer.

After three years in Italy, Handel returned home to Germany in , where he took charge of musical life at the court of Hanover — but Handel abandoned his post on a trip to London, where he lived for the rest of his life Handel must have experienced heart-stopping anxiety a few years later when the Elector of Hanover — the employer he had deserted — was crowned King George I of England.

From to , his first thirty years in his new home, Handel was a man of the theater. Not only did he compose nearly forty operas during this period, but he founded and managed his own opera company. Each season, which lasted from mid-autumn until late spring, he composed and produced a series of operas, hiring the most admired Italian singers, rehearsing the orchestra in his own home , renting performance halls, arranging for publicity, and managing ticket sales.

Other changes, however, appear to be attempts to improve the work and must be taken into account in a modern performance. There is no definitive version. A modern performer must look at the various versions presented in the different manuscripts sometimes there is more than one version in the same manuscript , try to understand the reasons for the changes, and make decisions about the best version to use.

At least as important as the autograph is a score which Handel apparently used in Dublin and in certain later performances. A third important version is a manuscript, again by a copyist, bequeathed by Handel in his will to the Foundling Hospital, for which he had given benefit concerts. This Foundling Hospital score appears never to have been used, but with it there is a valuable set of orchestral and vocal parts which formed the basis for many of his later performances.

Some people, citing concerts at which they were asked not to stand, have thanked us for allowing them to follow tradition. Others have expressed dismay at seeing the audience get to its feet, blocking their view of the stage, and felt pressured to join in. In the middle have been some who are unsure whether to stand or to remain seated. There is certainly no historical reason to stand, but then we do not require our audiences to put on historical performances.

The performances are for your pleasure and we would encourage you to sit or to stand as you wish, and enjoy the glorious music that closes Part II of Messiah.