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TheCompleatMessiah

MESSIAHHISTORY
NOTE:TheoriginsofHandel'sMessiaharealmostasfamousastheworkitself.Producedinamiraculouslyshortperiodoftime,
rapturouslyreceivedatit'spremiereinDublin,thecauseofnotalittlecontroversywhenfirstperformedinLondon,andcausingthe
turnaboutofHandel'spersonalfortunes,bothcommerciallyandcritcally,Messiah'soriginsandhistorycontinuetoamaze.Anditisa
historythatiscontinuingtowriteitself,asMessiahisrediscoveredandreimaginedineverynewgeneration.

TheHistoryofMessiah
IthasbeencalculatedthatHandelcommittedmorenotestopaperthananyothercomposerinhistory.Buteven
byhisphenomenalstandardsofproductivity,hecomposedMessiahatwhiteheat.Insixdaysbeginning23
August1741,hedrafted100sidesoftenstavepaperhewrotethewholeoratorioinjustthreeweeks.
Yetevenasheforgedahead,Handelwas,unusuallyforhim,uncertainaboutwhenandwherehewouldperform
thisnewwork.HehadprobablyalreadyreceivedhisinvitationtogiveconcertsinDublin,anditmaybeforthat
reasonthathewroteMessiahforasparseorchestraofstrings,trumpets,anddrumsonly,withnoneoftheusual
woodwindwithwhichhesolikedtocolourhissolonumbers:hedidnotknowwhatorchestralforcesmightbe
available.Headdedwoodwindpartslater,whenhebeganperformingMessiahinEngland.Healsowrotefora
combinationofsoloistssoprano,alto,tenor,andbasswhichisnormalnow,butwhichhehadneverusedinhis
previousoratorios,andmayhavebeenawayofspreadingtherecruitmentrisk.Yetheseemsnottohavebeen
definiteabouttheDublintrip,forwithhardlyabreakafterfinishingMessiah,hebeganhismassiveoratorio
SamsonwithmuchlargerforcesandsurelyintendedforEngland.
Handelleftusfrustratinglylittlecorrespondenceandfewpapertrailsotherthanhismusic,anditisfrompieces
likethese,thatwehavetogleanhisintentions.WithhindsightitisclearthatMessiahwasaturningpointinhis
career.
HehadcometoEnglandthirtyyearsbefore,freshfromyouthfulgroundingincounterpointinGermanyandmelody
inItaly,tomakehismarkasacomposerofpowerfulmusicforchurchandstateoccasionsandasamasterofthe
newandfashionableItalianopera.Itwasasanoperacomposerthathebecamefamousandremainedbusily
employedthroughoutthe1720s.Butthe1730sweredifficultforhim,promptinghimtogreatcreative
developments.Inthisdecadehebegantobehisownconcertpromoter,financedirector,contractor,and
conductor,aswellascomposer:thefirstcompletelyindependentmajorcomposerinhistory.Assuch,hewas
alwayslookingforwaystopleasepublictastethatwouldalsosatisfyhisurgetoexperimentinmusic.
CompetitionfromnewrivalItalianoperacompanies,andagrowingdemandforidentifiablyEnglishmusic,with
EnglishwordsandEnglishsingers,ledhimtoacceptfromfriendsandacquaintanceslibrettosforEnglish
oratorios:unacted,unstagedworksforsoloists,chorus,andorchestra,givenasconcertperformancesina
theatre.HehadalreadywrittenoratoriosabouttheMessiahinItaly(LaResurezzione,1708)andforGermany(The
BrockesPassion,1716)whenCharlesJennensofferedhimthelibrettoofMessiah.Hedidnotfeelthemoment
wasrightforit,butputitontheshelffornearlythreeyears.HisturnfromItalianoperatoEnglishoratoriowas
gradualandunplannedforseveralyearsheputonmixedseasonsofbothtypesofworks,andalthoughhegave
hislastItalianoperaperformanceafewmonthsbeforehebeganMessiah,hehimselfdidnotknowthisorintendit
tobethecase.
WithoutMessiah,CharlesJennenswouldbeunknowntoday.ButwithoutCharlesJennens,therewouldbeno
Messiah.Theideawashis,andhecompiledthelibrettobeforeofferingittoHandel.Itwasnottheirfirst
collaboration.FifteenyearsHandelsjunior,shy,touchy,cultivated,theOxfordeducatedsonofaMidlands
landownerenrichedbythefamilyironbusiness,JennenswasagoodamateurmusicianandadevoteeofHandels
music.HehadcopiesmadeforhimselfofeverynotethatHandelwrotehemadethelongjourneytoLondoneach
seasontohearHandelslatestcompositionsandhefosteredHandelscareerbygivinghimEnglishtextstosetto
music.
InJanuary1739,HandelsuccessfullyproducedhisoratorioSaul,toalibrettobyJennensbasedonScripture.On
29Decemberthatyear,writingtohisfellowHandelenthusiastJamesHarrisabouttheirplantocompilealibretto
forHandelbasedonMiltonspoemsLAllegroandIlPenseroso,Jennenscommented:
IhavebeenpreparingacollectionforhimfromScripture,whichismoretomyowntast&(byhisownconfession)
tohistoobutIbelievehewillnotsetitthisyear,beinganxioustopleasetheTownwithsomethingofagayer
turn.

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TheCompleatMessiah

ThecollectionfromScriptureisthefirstknownmentionofMessiah.
HandelsenthusiasmfortheMiltonprojectgaveJennenstimetodojusticetohischosentheme.By10July1741
hewasabletowritetohisfriendEdwardHoldsworth:
HandelsayshewilldonothingnextWinter,butIhopeIshallperswadehimtosetanotherScriptureCollectionI
havemadeforhim,&performitforhisownBenefit[takingthebulkoftheboxoffice]inPassionWeek.Ihopehe
willlayouthiswholegenius&Skilluponit,thattheCompositionmayexcellallhisformerCompositions,asthe
SubjectexcellseveryotherSubject.TheSubjectisMessiah.
ThephraseanotherScriptureCollectionisacluethatJennenswasalsothecompilerofthelibrettoforHandels
onlypreviousoratoriowithwordstakendirectlyfromtheBible,IsraelinEgypt.Jennenswasadevoutadherentof
theProtestantchurch,believinginthefundamentaltruthsanddivineinspirationoftheBible.Likemanysincere
Christiansofhistime,hewasdisturbedbytheincreaseofEnlightenmentfreethinking.Respectforscientific
proof,rationalistcriticismofsacredtexts,andthedisruptionofoldsocialordersasLondonbecameEuropes
financecapitalallcontributedtoweakentheauthorityofChristianrevelation.Andinresponse,dozensof
clergymenandconcernedlaymenpublishedhundredsofsermons,tracts,andmultivolumefoliosdefendingthe
doctrinethatJesuswastheMessiahprophesiedintheOldTestamentthroughwhomGodofferedsalvationto
mankind.Messiahisthemostlastingofthesedeclarationsoffaith,becauseJennenshadtheuniqueideaof
communicatingtheessentialsofChristiandoctrinethroughHandelsmusic.
Atthispointinhiscareer,HandelwasfindingtheEnglishpublichardtopleaseandwasconsideringareturnto
Germany.Jennenshopedthat,astheclimaxofaLondonseason,theneworatoriowouldrevivethecomposers
popularityandincome.ButHandeldidnotfulfilJennenssplantointroduceMessiahtoatheatreaudiencein
LondonduringHolyWeek.TakingthenewscoretoIreland,hecarefullywaitedtoperformsuchanovelworkuntil
hehadwonDublinheartswithtwohighlysuccessfulsubscriptionseriesofsomeofhisotheroratorios,odes,and
serenatasandthenheproducedMessiahnotinatheatrebutintheNewMusicHall,FishambleSt,on13April
1742.Alongwithhisprincipalperformers,hegavehisservicesfreeforthebenefitofthreeDublincharitiesafact
muchcommendedinthelocalpress.
Nocomposercouldhavewishedforamoreenthusiasticreceptionofanewwork.Thecapacityaudiencewas
deeplyappreciative,theBishopofDublinreportingthatevengreatnumbersoftheyoungandgaylistenedwith
seriousattention.Notonlywastheperformancesoldout,thereviewswereuniversallypositive:
WordsarewantingtodescribetheexquisitedelightitaffordedtotheadmiringcroudedAudience.TheSublime,the
Grand,andtheTender,adaptedtothemostelevated,majestickandmovingwords,conspiredtotransportand
charmtheravishedHeartandEar.[TheDublinJournal]
ButitwasadifferentstorywhenHandelpremieredMessiahinLondonnextyear,aspartofaseasonofEnglish
languageworksinhisusualvenue,atheatre.ThepapersprintedobjectionstotheutteranceofthesacredWordof
Godinaplaceassociatedwithlowlifeactorsandscurrilousplays,andHandelsufferedsomethingakintoa
nervousbreakdown.HewasnothelpedbyJennenssoutspokendisappointmentwithMessiah.Seeingthescore
nowforthefirsttime,JennensinitiallyfeltthatHandelhadnotalwaysdonejusticetohimselfasacomposerorto
theWordofGodasdivinetruth.Thecollaborators,bothstrongwilledandintransigent,hadarift.ItwasHandel
whomadethefirstconciliatorymove,andhismollifyingletter(nowonshowinhishouseinLondonsBrook
Street)testifiestohisrespectforJennensasalibrettistandasamusician:Bepleasedtopointoutthose
passagesintheMessiahwhichYouthinkrequirealtering.
MessiahdidnotbecomeanestablishedfavouriteinEnglanduntilthe1750s,whenHandelbegantoperformitfor
charity,ashehaddoneinDublin.BenevolentandwealthyLondonsocietyflockedtohearMessiahinCaptain
CoramsnewFoundlingHospitalfortheeducationandmaintenanceofexposedanddesertedyoungchildren,and
Handellaterbequeathedtothecharityamanuscriptscoreandasetofpartsthatcanstillbeseenthere.
TheassociationofMessiahwiththeFoundlingHospitalmusthavehadaspecialresonanceforHandel,sincethe
cityofhisbirth,Halle,was(andis)hometoasimilarfoundation.TheFranckescheStiftung,alargescale
orphanagefortherescueandtrainingoffoundlings,andstillamajoreducationalcharity,wasestablishedin1698
bythePietistphilanthropistAugustHermannFrancke,whowasalsoprofessorofOrientallanguagesatHalle
UniversitywhenHandelattendedit.HandelwouldhaverecognisedtheFoundlingHospitalasakindredcharity.
By1784themusichistorianCharlesBurneycouldwriteofMessiahthatthisgreatworkhasbeenheardinall
partsofthekingdomwithincreasingreverenceanddelight.ItreachedBerlintwoyearslaterandMozart
performeditinViennain1789,addingorrewritingthepartsforwoodwind,brass,andtimpani.Bothwere
anticipatedbyWilliamTuckey,theretiredchoirmasterofTrinityChurch,NewYork,whoon16January1770made
extractsfromMessiahthesecondpartofaconcertinGeorgeBurnssMusicRoomintheCityTavernon
Broadway.TheadvertisementshowedrealunderstandingofMessiah:ASacredOratorio,ontheProphecies
concerningChrist,andhiscoming.FurtherNewYorkperformancesofextractsfollowed,andwithinthenext
decadeMessiahreachedBostonandPhiladelphia.ThefirstcompleteMessiahinNorthAmericawasinBostonin
1818,atBoylstonHall,establishingatraditionofannualperformancesthere.
ItwasHandelsnormalpracticetorevisehisworksforeachseasoninwhichherevivedthem,tosuitthesoloists
hehadassembledinhiscompany.ThismeansthatthereisseldomadefinitiveversionofaHandeloperaor
oratorio.Messiahisnoexceptionforexample,whenforthe174950seasonHandelacquiredthebrilliantyoung
altocastratoGaetanoGuadagni(latertobethecreatorofGlucksOrfeo),hecomposedforhimnewsettingsof
Butwhomayabidethedayofhiscoming(originallyforbass,thenfortenor),andThouartgoneuponhigh
(originallyforbass,thenforsoprano).ThereisnoprincipalversionofMessiahtheoriginalDublinperformance
cannotbereconstructedwithcertainty.Thepresentrecordingfollowswhathavebecomethemostwidely
acceptedchoicesinperformance.

REFERENCES
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