You’ve probably heard of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah,” that epic choral masterpiece that goes into heavy rotation every December. But did you know it was basically a musical sprint? Handel composed Messiah with remarkable speed, completing the entire work in just 24 days. Whew!
Here are a few more fun facts you might not know about “Messiah.”
A Royal Standing Ovation
When “Messiah” premiered in Dublin in 1742, it was a hit, to put it mildly (check out the huge crowd depicted in this engraving!). The real showstopper in the piece has historically been the “Hallelujah” chorus. Legend has it that King George II himself stood up during the London premier performance, and everyone else followed suit, like a royal wave of reverence.
The Dynamic Duo
Handel didn’t write the piece alone. He teamed up with the wordsmith Charles Jennens, who cobbled together text from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter. Jennens was so excited about the project that he even wrote a poem about it, calling it “Messiah: A Sacred Oratorio.”
A Global Phenomenon
The work’s popularity quickly spread beyond Dublin. It was soon performed in London and other cities across Europe, and eventually made its way to the Americas. “Messiah’s” wide appeal lay in its ability to transcend cultural and religious boundaries, speaking to the human condition through its themes of hope, redemption, and eternal life.
Christmas or Easter?
Though the work is now closely associated with Christmas, it was originally considered more of an Easter composition, and the first-ever performance took place in the spring. But given that the subject matter covers the birth, death, and resurrection of the Christ figure, it spans both the Easter and Christmas seasons.