Donald Macleod tells the real story behind one of the most
popular masterpieces ever composed.
In 1741 Handel packed his bags and left London for Dublin, where
he spent nearly nine months writing and performing in the city.
The main work that he premiered there was a new oratorio which
proved to be one of the landmarks of his career. Across the week
we hear the whole of Handel’s Messiah, uncover the secrets of its
origins and dispel the myths that still surround it.
To begin this week’s episode, Donald and his guest Ruth Smith
paint a picture of Handel’s life in London as he prepared to
leave for Ireland, examining the way in which the texts and ideas
of Messiah respond to the social and intellectual turbulence of
the time. Next, they focus on Handel’s relationship with his
extraordinary collaborator, Charles Jennens, who conceived the
idea of Messiah. They discuss Handel’s arrival in Dublin and how
he gathered his forces for his hotly-awaited concert series, the
sensational reception of Messiah’s premiere, and the work’s long
association with charity. Finally, we hear about the legacy left
embedded in Messiah, and how the work has come to mean so much to
generations of singers and music lovers long after the deaths of
Handel and Jennens.
Music featured: Messiah Ode for St Cecilia’s Day (Final movement)
Israel in Egypt (excerpts) Saul: Act I ‘How excellent Thy name’
Athalia: Part I Scene 4 ‘Gloomy tyrants, we disdain’ L'Allegro,
il Penseroso ed il Moderato: As steals the morn Alexander’s
Feast: Revenge, Timotheus cries Organ Concerto Op 7 No 1 in B
flat major, HWV 306 Saul: Act I Scene 5, "O Lord, whose mercies
numberless" Utrecht Te Deum, HWV 278 (movements 5 – 10) Samson:
Act I, Scene 2 'O first created beam!' Samson: Act II, Scene 1
'Return, O God of hosts!' Belshazzar: Act I, Scene 3
Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC
Wales
For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for George Frideric Handel
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0004dq7
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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