Handel's Messiah

About this episode

Misha Glenny and guests discuss Handel's Messiah, its history, and its significance in music.

Misha Glenny and his guests discuss the most famous oratorio of George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) and his librettist Charles Jennens (1700-1773). For his libretto, Jennens drew from Old and New Testament texts: prophecies about the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, the nativity, the suffering of Christ and his death and the Day of Judgement and redemption for all. Handel's Messiah had its premiere in 1742 in a secular Dublin music hall to great acclaim with a packed audience and Handel continued to adapt his Messiah for later performances, often shaping the work to the choirs or individual singers available. Messiah proved to be one of his most popular works, becoming a favourite of massed choirs around the world far beyond the scale of Handel’s original. With Donald Burrows Emeritus Professor of Music at the Open University Ruth Smith Trustee and Council Member of the Handel Institute And Larry Zazzo Countertenor, and Senior Lecturer in Music at Newcastle University Producer: Simon Tillotson Reading list: Donald Burrows, Messiah (full score, 2 vols, Hallische Händel Ausgabe, forthcoming) Donald Burrows, Messiah (Edition Peters, 1987) Donald Burrows, Messiah, Cambridge Music…

People in this episode

Host: Misha Glenny

Guests: Donald Burrows, Ruth Smith, Larry Zazzo

Topics covered

• Handel
• Messiah
• oratorio
• libretto
• music history
• choirs

Keywords

• Handel
• Messiah
• oratorio
• libretto
• music history
• choirs
• George Frideric Handel
• Charles Jennens

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Open University, Handel Institute, Newcastle University

Books & works: Messiah

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