The première of Messiah held in Dublin in April 1742, was a charitable event to raise funds for prisoners and the poor. Handel was one of the most famous composers in the world, so the performance sold out immediately.
There was such demand for tickets that management had to ask that the gentlemen leave their swords at home, and that the ladies refrain from wearing their large hooped skirts just so they could squeeze 100 extra bodies into the hall.
Messiah celebrates the whole story of Christ, from God's promises to the prophets of the Old Testament, the birth of Jesus, his death and resurrection and his future second coming.
The libretto was put together by Handel's friend Charles Jennens from both the Bible and The Book of Common Prayer.
It’s dramatic stuff, and the orchestra is as much a part of the storytelling as the soloists and choir.
HANDEL: Messiah – Part One
NZSO Messiah 2020 Photo: Screengrab Latitude Creative
Performed by Anna Leese (soprano), Sarah Court (mezzo), Frederick Jones (tenor), Robert Tucker (bass), The Tudor Consort, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gemma New.
Part One begins with the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the Messiah and the Virgin Birth and is followed by the New Testament narration where the angels appear to the shepherds. It ends with a subdued meditation on the new-found peace which Christ has brought to the world in 'He shall feed his flock'.
There is no definitive version of 'Messiah'. Handel never performed his oratorio exactly as it had been written in 1741. Like other baroque composers, Handel saw any composition as being adaptable. In fact, he reworked the score of 'Messiah' at least 10 times, often tailoring arias to the limitations or talents of specific singers.
This performance uses similar forces to what would have been used in the première performance - with 21 strings, 2 oboes, 1 bassoon, 2 trumpets, timpani, harpsichord, chamber organ, and a choir of 36 voices.
Recorded 12 December 2020, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Producer: David McCaw
Engineer: Darryl Stack
HANDEL Messiah – Parts Two & Three
Soprano Anna Leese at NZSO Messiah 2020 Photo: Screenshot NZSO/Latitude Creative
Performed by Anna Leese (soprano), Sarah Court (mezzo), Frederick Jones (tenor), Robert Tucker (bass), The Tudor Consort, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gemma New.
Part Two – Christ’s Passion, is the darkest and perhaps most dramatic of the three acts of Handel's Messiah - dealing with the Easter story of the passion and death of Christ, with the choruses 'Behold the Lamb of God' and 'Surely he hath borne our griefs', and the alto aria 'He was despised'. But it also ends with the resurrection, and the famous 'Hallelujah' chorus.
There’s a tradition of the audience standing during this chorus. The story goes that King George II, attending the London première, was so moved by the 'Hallelujah' chorus that he stood up. And following protocol, if the king stands, everyone stands. No one is really sure whether the king stood up because he liked the music or for some other reason entirely, or even if he was actually at the première, but the tradition has stuck. And for this performance – the audience is encouraged not only to stand but also to sing along.
After a short break, the performers launch into Part Three - The Resurrection of Christ, and the prophesied second coming. It opens with one of Handel's greatest tunes, the soprano solo ‘I know that my redeemer liveth’ and ends with the terrific bass aria 'The trumpet shall sound' and the final chorus 'Worthy is the Lamb'.
Recorded 12 December 2020, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Producer: David McCaw
Engineer: Darryl Stack
