Handel's Messiah for Christmas
Greatest Oratorio of all time, with its powerful Hallelujah Chorus
Handel's Messiah, the most popular oratorio and a fixture of the Christmas season most especially the "Hallelujah Chorus," is in fact not originally created by George F. Handel for Christmas but for Lent. It was premiered on April 13, 1742, the Tuesday before Easter, in a small theater in Dublin, Ireland.
Starting in 1745, the performance of the Messiah became an yearly event in Dublin during Holy week. It was only during the 19th century when it crossed the Atlantic that performances of the oratorio became associated with the Christmas season. Performances comprise the first part, or something which can easily be related for Christmas, with the "Hallelujah Chorus" tacked in.
Voice of Great Multitude
For any one who has been into any of the many productions of the Messiah, the feeling is almost like a thunderous voice of great multitude performing the "Hallelujah Chorus" or perhaps sung by hundreds of singers, as can fit on the stage. Actually, the original performance had only about 27 choristers, accompanied by a small string orchestra. These singers were members of the combined choirs of two cathedrals, probably those qualified singers Handel could find in Dublin.
The tradition of the enormous chorus started in England, with the first Handel Centenary Commemoration concert in 1784 in London. In this event, 4,000 people crowded into Westminster Abbey to hear some 513 performers play the Messiah.
Messiah's Timing
George F. Handel wrote the Messiah in just three weeks. This was not unusual for him as he was known to dash off most of his compositions as quickly as he could. Handel was another exception of someone cutting corners yet producing a masterpiece.
Messiah's Libretto, the Words
A literary scholar, Charles Jennens, assembled the libretto from the Holy Bible scriptures. Story is told that when Jennens got a chance to look at the finished Messiah, he was extremely disappointed with the music and declared that there are some passages far unworthy of Handel, but much more unworthy of the Messiah. Jennens particularly abhorred the overture. Handel made several modifications after receiving an onslaught of letters from Jennens, but still refused to change his overture.
Handel himself constantly reset lyrics, rewriting arias and recitatives for whichever soloists were available, dine-tuning here and there.
Messiah's Venue
At that time Handel had become popular in London. Despite his popularity, he found it difficult to find a venue for the Messiah performance. Most clergy viewed Handel's work as purely secular and even deplored his use of sacred texts. There was also a row that ensued a few years back when the Bishop of London made a big issue over the use of the cathedral choristers in the production of Esther. This might have been the reason why Handel went to Dublin and performed his masterpiece there, where he had no problem of the kind.
Hallelujah Chorus
Messiah has famous supports, one was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who wrote an arrangement of it, and Ludwig van Beethoven, a great fan. The Messiah is Handel's most enduring work. It was also the last performance the master attended.
The most persistent legend about the Messiah is that the audience stands during the "Hallelujah Chorus" because King George II stood at this point in the first London performance. Even without this legend, the music is so powerful and moving that one can't help but stand. The "Hallelujah Chorus" of Messiah has been overwhelmingly popular during Christmas and Easter.
Handel's Messiah for Christmas
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