On the 7th Day of Christmas Past,
Question: Handel’s beloved “Messiah” is performed throughout the world during Christmas, what is something from today’s story you might not have known before about this masterpiece?
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“Inspiration Behind Handel’s Messiah”
“Handel’s Messiah was not originally intended as a Christmas piece. Librettist Charles Jennens, who was a close friend and collaborator with Handel, used the biblical stories of Jesus for the Messiah’s text. Jennens described his work as “a meditation of our Lord as Messiah in Christian thought and belief.” The first third of the work was about the birth of Jesus. The second act covers the death of Jesus and the third focused on his resurrection. As such, the piece was originally conceived as a work for Easter and was premiered in the spring during the Lent season on April 13, 1742, as one of a series of charity concerts presented at Neal’s Music Hall on Fishamble Street in Dublin. Because of the excitement surrounding the anticipated premier of “Messiah”, audience members were asked for certain consideration in order to increase the capacity of the concert hall, men were asked to leave their dress swords at home and women were asked to not wear their wide hooped skirts. By the 19th century, Messiah became a regular December staple particularly in the United States.
If Handel’s father had had his way, the “Hallelujah Chorus” would never have been written. His father was a “surgeon-barber,” a no-nonsense, practical man who was determined to send his son to law school. Even though Handel showed extraordinary musical talent as a child, his father refused for several years to permit him to take lessons. When Handel was eight or nine years old, a duke heard him play an organ postlude following a worship service. Handel’s father was summarily requested to provide formal music training for the boy. By the time Handel turned 12, he had written his first composition and was so proficient at the organ that he substituted, on occasion, for his own teacher.
Young Handel continued to master the clavichord, oboe, and violin, as well as composition through the years. In 1702 he entered the University of Halle to study law out of respect for his late father’s desire. But he soon abandoned his legal studies and devoted himself entirely to music. He became a violinist and composer in a Hamburg opera theater, then worked in Italy from 1706 to 1710 under the patronage of their music-loving courts. In 1712, after a short stay at the court of Hanover, he moved to England, where he lived for the rest of his life.
Handel set to work composing on August 22 in his little house on Brook Street in London. He grew so absorbed in the work that he rarely left his room, hardly stopping to eat. Within six days Part One was complete. In nine days more he had finished Part Two, and in another six, Part Three. The orchestration was completed in another two days. In all, 260 pages of manuscript were filled in with remarkable speed in a short time of 24 days!
Sir Newman Flower, one of Handel’s many biographers, summed up the consensus of history: “Considering the immensity of the work and the short time involved, it will remain, perhaps forever, the greatest feat in the whole history of music composition.” Handel’s title for the commissioned work was, simply, Messiah.
Handel never left his house for those three weeks. A friend who visited him as he composed found him sobbing with intense emotion. After he just finished writing the “Hallelujah Chorus”, Handel had tears streaming down his face. “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself.” Later, as Handel groped for words to describe what he had experienced, he quoted St. Paul, saying, “Whether I was in the body or out of my body when I wrote it I know not.”
What makes this even more astounding is the sheer scale of the 259-page score. Richard Luckett, author of Handel’s Messiah: A Celebration, writes that there are some uncorrected errors or blotted out notes but remarkably few mistakes given the speed of Handel’s writing. NPR music commentator Miles Hoffman estimates there are roughly a quarter of a million notes in Messiah. At a little more than three weeks of 10-hour days, Hoffman said that means Handel would have had to keep a continuous pace writing 15 notes a minute.
An often repeated legend about Messiah tells the story of King George II who was so moved by the “Hallelujah” chorus during the London premiere of Messiah that he rose to his feet and then everyone in attendance followed suit as not to be sitting when the king stood. Thus we believe the regularly debated tradition of standing during the “Hallelujah” chorus came to be. However, according to various experts, there is no truth to this story. In fact, there is no evidence King George II was even in attendance, and it is unlikely the newspaper writers that were in the audience would have overlooked mentioning a royal presence. The first reference to this story was a letter written 37 years after the fact.
Handel personally conducted more than thirty performances of Messiah, rearranging it to match the various performers and instruments. In consequence, no single version can be regarded as the “authentic” one. Many more variations and rearrangements were added in subsequent centuries–a notable arrangement was one by Mozart, translated into German.
Many of these concerts he conducted were benefits for the Foundling Hospital, of which Handel was a major benefactor. The thousands of pounds Handel’s performances of Messiah raised for charity led one biographer to note, “Messiah has fed the hungry, clothed the naked, fostered the orphan … more than any other single musical production in this or any country.” Another wrote, “Perhaps the works of no other composer have so largely contributed to the relief of human suffering.”
Handel was buried in Westminster Abbey, with over 3,000 in attendance at his funeral. A statue erected there shows him holding the manuscript for the solo that opens Part Three of Messiah, “I know that my Redeemer liveth.”
There are many things about Handel I did not know until reading this story. One of the most impressive things I learned was that Handel was so committed to a hospital for foundlings (abandoned orphans) that the proceeds of many of his concerts were given to that hospital. “Perhaps the works of no other composer have so largely contributed to the relief of human suffering.”
I didn’t know that Handel’s father didn’t want him to be a musician and that he played the organ at such a young age.
What an amazing story. Handel was given a gift. Thankfully he magnified it and shared it with the world. I didn’t realize that he wrote the entire piece in 24 days.
I was surprised at the quote: “Messiah has fed the hungry, clothed the naked, fostered the orphan … more than any other single musical production in this or any country.” Handel was a very generous man who shared his good works.
I love the Messiah! I never knew that Handel was a benefactor for the Foundlings. I think he was truly inspired when he composed the music for this great work. It is wonderful that he used his talents to help the poor. What a remarkable man.
Handel has always been one of my most favorite composers. That said, I didn’t know it took him only 3 weeks to compose the entire Messiah. I know that Handel was truly inspired by and ministered to by angels as he composed this masterpiece. What a testimony and honor to the Savior himself that the work did so much to relieve the suffering and bless so many in need. Beautiful story of one of my most favorite masterpieces of all time.
I was amazed to learn how the music was composed in only 24 days. It filled 260 pages and one-quarter of a million notes. He was such a young musical prodigy but still, it seems as though he had Divine help in giving this masterpiece to the world.
There are a number of things i didn’t know before, but perhaps the most impressive fact is how little time it took him to write it, especially since the 24 days included the orchestration. I truly believe he had the Lord’s help.
I once knew a man who has unbelievable musical skills – especially the organ and piano. Hearing music performed by one as talented as Handel and this man I knew can be very profound. The Hallelujah chorus has always been one of my favorite musical pieces – I’m glad Handel was inspired to write it.
I love the Messiah so much. I didn’t know that Handel wrote it in only 24 days and that after he had written it he wept! Wow! That shows me he was inspired to write it because of the speed he wrote it in and his reaction faster he completed it. It is a very powerful production and is still very much part of our lives today. I learned it as a youth and sang it just week with a choir here in Nauvoo. I love it.
I have always enjoyed the music but never knew much of the story of Handel or how it was written. It was interesting to learn about.
I have read similar accounts many times before but I am blessed with a leaky memory. It is wonderful to read great things about great people and their accomplishments again and again like I am reading it for the first time.
I didn’t know how fast he composed it. I didn’t know it was a 3 part composition.
It was a surprise that this piece was composed for Easter. I had just watched a movie on Handel but this wasn’t mentioned.
I have had the opportunity to sing with a group as we performed the Messiah one Christmas. As I was only in high school, I did not appreciate it nearly as much as I do now when I hear it. And I especially love the Halleluja Chorus. I love to hear it done by the Tabernacle Choir.