Handel Messiah, Sheet Music, Program Notes and recordings

A Meditation on the Divine

The tradition of standing for the "Hallelujah" Chorus is said to have begun at the 1743 London premiere of Messiah. Legend has it that King George II was so moved by the power and majesty of the music that he spontaneously rose to his feet, and when the king stands, everyone stands. The story, though likely apocryphal, perfectly captures the overwhelming effect this music has had on listeners for centuries. Handel himself seems to have believed he was channeling a divine power during the work's astonishingly fast composition. His servant would often find him weeping over the manuscript, and after completing the "Hallelujah" Chorus, Handel reportedly exclaimed, "I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself seated on His throne!" This sense of divine inspiration and profound human emotion is at the very heart of Messiah's enduring power.

Handel and the English Oratorio A New Beginning

By 1741, Handel’s glorious career as a composer of Italian-style operas in London was in crisis. Public taste had changed, rival opera companies had created fierce competition, and Handel was facing financial ruin. Ever the brilliant musical entrepreneur, he pivoted to a new genre he had largely invented: the English oratorio. These were large-scale works on sacred subjects, sung in English, and performed in a concert setting without sets or costumes. They appealed directly to the pious, middle-class English audience in a way that foreign-language opera never could. Messiah was the triumphant culmination of this new direction, a work that secured his fame and fortune for all time.

Part I: Prophecy and Nativity The Advent of the Messiah

The first part of Messiah concerns the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah's coming and the New Testament accounts of the nativity. The mood is one of hopeful expectation and pastoral joy. It begins not with a bang, but with a dramatic and somber French-style overture. This is immediately followed by one of the work's most beautiful and reassuring arias, the tenor's "Comfort ye my people. " Handel’s gift for "word painting"—making the music a literal illustration of the text—is immediately apparent in the aria "Ev'ry valley shall be exalted," where the music rises for "mountain" and falls for "low," and a twisted melodic line is made "straight. " Part I also includes the brilliant chorus "For unto us a Child is born" and concludes with the jubilant sound of angelic choirs.

Part II: Passion and Triumph The "Hallelujah"

The second part is the dramatic core of the oratorio, moving from the suffering and passion of Christ to the triumph of his resurrection and the spread of his gospel. This section contains some of the work's most profound music, including the deeply moving alto aria "He was despised," a masterpiece of sorrow and pathos. But the mood of suffering is ultimately vanquished. Part II culminates in the single most famous piece of choral music ever written: the "Hallelujah" Chorus. It is a work of brilliant theatrical and musical genius, a stunningly constructed anthem of praise that uses every resource of the choir and orchestra to build from its powerful opening declaration to a glorious, contrapuntal, and ultimately overwhelming climax.

Part III: Redemption and Amen The Promise of Eternal Life

The final part of Messiah is a triumphant and serene meditation on the promise of redemption and eternal life. After the explosive conclusion of Part II, Part III opens with one of the most sublime and hopeful arias in the repertoire, the soprano's "I know that my Redeemer liveth. " It is an expression of unshakable faith, a moment of profound peace and beauty. This is followed by another famous number, the powerful trumpet-led bass aria, "The trumpet shall sound. " The entire oratorio then concludes with one of the most magnificent choral fugues ever composed, the final "Worthy is the Lamb" and "Amen" chorus. It is a monumental structure of interwoven voices, a final, uplifting, and utterly glorious affirmation of faith that brings the entire work to a monumental close.

A Work for All Time An Unbroken Tradition

Messiah is unique among major works of the Baroque era in that it has had a continuous, unbroken performance history from the time of its premiere until the present day. While much of the music of J.S. Bach, for example, fell into obscurity for nearly a century after his death, Messiah was immediately recognized as a masterpiece and has never left the stage. Though Handel intended it for the Easter season, its first part, dealing with the nativity, has made it a beloved Christmas tradition around the world. Its message of hope, its glorious melodies, and its profound humanity have allowed it to transcend its origins as a piece of religious art. It has become a cherished cultural touchstone, a work that continues to bring comfort, joy, and a sense of awe to people of all faiths and backgrounds.