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Messiah
By Wauwatosa Public Library
Tuesday, Dec 4 2007, 01:36 PM
George Frideric Handel’s Messiah is one of the most popular and adored musical works of all time. Most likely, many of you have had a part in the performance of the work, participated in a holiday sing-along or, at the very least, attempted to sing the Hallelujah chorus at one time or another.
The Messiah is an oratorio, a musical composition, often with a religious text, that is performed in a concert hall or church without scenery or costumes by solo voices, chorus and orchestra. Handel wrote the Messiah in 1741 (in just 24 days!) to be performed at Easter but it has become traditional to perform this work during the Christmas season. The Messiah’s text was selected and arranged by Charles Jennens and taken from parts of the New and Old Testaments. It is organized into three acts and subdivided into scenes. The most famous movement, known as the “Hallelujah” chorus, concludes the second act. The text is taken from the New Testament book of Revelation.
Handel conducted the Messiah many times and altered it to suit the performers that were available to him and there have been many more variations and arrangements of the work over the centuries. The following are some of the library’s recordings of the entire Messiah and highlights of the oratorio that you just might want to check out over the holidays:
Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration/Reprise Records, 1992
Excerpts arranged and performed by contemporary musical groups
Messiah/Philips, 1983
Complete oratorio performed by Margaret Marshall, Catherine Robbin and others
English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir
Messiah/Telarc, 1984
Complete oratorio performed by Kaaren Erickson, Sylvia McNair and others
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus
Messiah/Philips, 1985
Complete oratorio performed by Margaret Price, Hanna Schwarz and others
Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Messiah: Arias and Choruses/Universal, 2001
Joan Sutherland, Grace Bumbry and others
London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
Messiah: Highlights/EMI Angel, 1987
Kathleen Battle, Florence Quivar and others
Toronto Symphony and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
