Handel’s Messiah—A Unique Masterpiece Chester L. Alwes November 5, 2017
I. Overview of Handel’s career—the oratorios in context II. What is an oratorio? a. 17th century b. 18th century c. Handel III. Why did Handel compose oratorios? IV. Handel’s Oratorios
Esther HWV 50 (Anonymous after Racine. Hamaan and Mordecai, 1720; rev. 1732) Deborah (HWV 51, Humphreys)1733 Athalia (HWV 52, Humphreys, after Racine) 1733 Saul (HWV 53, Jennens), 1738 Israel in Egypt (HWV 54, Jennens), 1739 L’Allegro, il Pensoroso ed il Moderato (Jennens after John Milton, HWV 55) 1740 Messiah, (HWV 56, Jennens) 1741 (Dublin)/1742 (London) Samson (HWV 57, Hamilton after Milton’s Samson Agonistes), 1741 Semele (HWV 58, Congreve), 1743 Joseph and his Brethren (HWV 59, J. Miller), 1743 Hercules (HWV 60, Broughton), 1744 Belshazzar (HWV 61, Jennens), 1745 Occasional Oratorio (HWV 62, Hamilton ater Milton and Spenser), 1745 Judas Maccabeus (HWV 63, Morell), 1746 Joshua (HWV 64, Morell), 1748 Alexander Balus (HWV 65, Morell), 1748 Susanna (HWV 66, Hamilton/Mendes?), 1749 Solomon (HWV 67, Mendes?), 1749 Theodora (HWV 68, Morell), 1750 The Choice of Hercules (HWV 69, Morell), 1751 Jephtha (HWV 70, Morell), 1752
V. Messiah: Genesis, Libretto, Performances
Text sources: All Biblical (selected by Jennens [and Handel?]) Isaiah, Haggai/Malachi, Matthew, Luke, Zechariah, John, Psalms, Lamentations, Hebrews, Romans, Revelation, Job, I Corinthians
Handel’s Performances of Messiah
1742 (4/13) Dublin premier 1743 (March) Three performances at Covent Garden 1745 (April) Two performances at the King’s Theatre 1749 (3/23) Covent Garden 1750 (April/May) Covent Garden/Foundling Hospital 1751 (April/May) Foundling Hospital 1752-59 (March/April) Covent Garden/Foundling Hospital
VI. Messiah in Retrospect
Bibliography
Alwes, Chester L. Handel’s Messiah: the Solo Variants. (Dayton, OH: Roger Dean, 2009). Bukofzer, Manfred. Music in the Baroque Era. (New York: W. W. Norton, 1947). Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques. (London: Oxford University Press, 1959). Lang, Paul Henry. George Frideric Handel. (New York: W. W. Norton, 1966). Larsen, Jens Peter. Handel’s Messiah: organization, composition, sources. (London: A. and C. Black, 1957). Taylor, Sedley. The Indebtedness of Handel to Works by other Composers. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1906; New York: reprint by Johnson Reprint Corporation, © 1971).