Handel's (1685-1759) Messiah. About the piece Handel's Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer. After an initially modest public reception of its premiere in 1742, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music. Handel wrote the piece for modest vocal and instrumental forces, with optional settings for many of the individual numbers. In the years after his death, the work was adapted for performance on a much larger scale, with giant orchestras and choirs. In other efforts to update it, its orchestration was revised and amplified by (among others) Mozart.
Manhattan, New York, NY