George Frideric Handel: 
Born in Halle, Germany, February 23, 1685
Died in London, April 14, 1759

In the words of Dr. Charles Burney, 18th century music historian, Messiah "has fed the hungry and clothed the naked, fostered the orphan, and enriched succeeding managers of Oratories more than any single musical production in this or any other country." For more than 250 years, this great and most popular of oratorios has survived and endured numerous revisions and reorchestrations in performances ranging from "cast of thousands" to today's emphasis on "authentic" performance practice employing period instruments and small all-male choral ensembles.

Handel, at the low ebb of his career and, as a consequence of a stroke, suffering partial paralysis on his left side, composed Messiah in the incredibly short period of time of 21 days. The composer had been invited to give a series of concerts in Dublin, some of which would benefit various charities. The premiere was met with considerable success and served to boost Handel's spirits for a return to London. While it is true that George II stood during the singing of the mighty "Hallelujah" Chorus at the second London performance, Messiah did not enjoy the popularity of many of Handel's other oratorios during the composer's lifetime. In fact, it was only through Handel's annual Eastertide performances to benefit his favorite charity, the Foundling Hospital, that Messiah was heard at all!

Robert Manson Myers wrote that, in the case of Messiah, "for the first time in musical history the mighty drama of human redemption was treated as an epic poem." Music historian R.A. Streatfield cited Messiah as "the first instance in the history of music of an attempt to view the mighty drama of human redemption from an artistic viewpoint." While narrative only in a general sense, the libretto prepared for Handel by Charles Jennens and taken from both the Old and New Testaments considers the whole of human experience - hope and fulfillment, suffering and death, resurrection and redemption.

What Handel achieved in Messiah was a wonderful blend of elegant, Italianate melody alternating with virtuosic vocalism for the soloists and, for the chorus, unmatched choral sonorities ranging from madrigalesque lightness to the composer's characteristic ceremonial style which endeared him to the British public. Across the span of 250 years, Messiah still holds its extraordinary grip on musician and audience member alike. It reaches us with its directness of expression and its infinite capacity for self-renewal. It bestows on us the special gift of aesthetic and spiritual grace.

Written by Henley Denmead.
http://www.hartfordchorale.org/Messiah.htm