Air, bass: The people that walked in darkness

MESSIAH

December 1-3, 2022

George Frideric Handel was born in Halle, Germany in 1685 and died in London in 1759. He composed Messiah in 1741, and led the first performance in the New Music Hall, Dublin in 1742. The text, taken entirely from biblical passages, was assembled by Charles Jennens. The score calls for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists, chorus, two oboes, bassoon, two trumpets, timpani, strings, and continuo.

Handel spent most of his adult life living in London, composing dozens of Italianstyle operas for a city that couldn’t get enough of them. They were usually successful, but not always; both he and his opera company neared the brink of financial ruin more than once. Eventually Londoners lost their thirst for opera, and though Handel tried desperately to keep his string of successes going, it was no use.

Yet just as his operas began failing, oratorios were becoming the next big thing in London. Oratorios are really operas in disguise; the difference is that oratorios portray biblical subjects and are meant to be presented in concert form. But oratorios use orchestra, chorus and soloists, and they contain arias, duets, ensembles, choruses, and recitatives, along with the occasional orchestral movement. They were a hit with the public, and Handel supplied as many as could be consumed, including such masterworks as Saul, Israel in Egypt, and of course Messiah.

When Handel composed Messiah, his finances were at a low ebb. Two of his operas had failed in succession, and rumors began that he would leave England altogether. When he was invited to Dublin by William Cavendish, Third Duke of Devonshire, he welcomed the change of scenery and hoped that his trip would fatten his purse at the same time. Handel put on a series of six subscription concerts of his works featuring himself as organ soloist. They were a smashing success—so much so that another series of six were promptly scheduled and Handel became the toast of the town.

Messiah, however, was not part of Handel’s profit-making enterprise. Before he left for Ireland, he was asked to compose a work for a concert that would benefit three Dublin charities: Mercer’s Hospital, The Charitable Infirmary, and a society for the relief of imprisoned debtors. (Though he was in some difficulty himself, Handel was always quick to aid a charitable cause.) He completed Messiah in an astonishing 24 days, just before he sailed for Ireland. By the time Messiah was performed in Dublin at Eastertime, Handel’s popularity there had become so great that a huge audience was expected; ladies were advised to forego their hoops and