In a short account of George Friedric Handel's oratorio included in the literary collection "Decisive Moments in History," Stefan Zweig, a prolific writer during the latter part of the 19th century, wrote: "Handel did not praise his own works but there was one that he loved, Messiah, because in it he had redeemed himself."
Handel's "The Messiah," for all intents and purposes, is the quintessential Christmas oratorio embodying the joyous spirit of the season through its choral and melodic elements.
In essence, this Baroque Era classical piece is about the celebration of Christ's triumph after his resurrection and was originally linked to the Holy Week upon its inception in 1741. However, it eventually evolved into its current worldwide renown as the headlining musical performance in any Christmas events and concertos.
History of Handel's 'The Messiah'
Although it is quite unclear when "The Messiah" started being recognized as synonymous with Christmas, some writers like English Biographer Jonathan Keates have certainly tried connecting the pieces.
In his monograph for Handel, entitled "Messiah: The Composition and Afterlife of Handel's Masterpiece," Keates appoints the United States as the starting point of the phenomena. In fact, during the mid-19th century, it had become even more common to hear iterations of the Handel oratorio across the country as it would be annually played in auditoriums located in New York, Boston, and Chicago every December 25.
Come 1993, it had even been adapted into a gospel arrangement performed in London's Royal Albert Hall, with the derivative dubbed "Too Hot to Handel."
This particular arrangement was admittedly "modern," with it comprising electric guitars, drums, saxophones, and even a Hammond organ. It was also a much shorter experience, with its climax exclaimed with the Handel favorite in "Hallelujah."
Myths and Truths Surrounding Handel and His Masterpiece
All over the world, Handel's composition has widely been performed ever since its inaugural concert in Dublin's Fishamble Street Auditorium on April 13, 1742. Because it had been played countless times within the span of its 300-year existence, myths surrounding the composition started popping up.
One prominent rumor spawned a custom where one would have to stand up upon hearing "Hallelujah." Many believe this conjecture to have come from King George II himself, with a handful of authors writing as such.
Another myth would be about the divine reverie that Handel would routinely experience whilst writing the piece. This is something that was solely chronicled by Zweig, including it in his collection of historical fiction.
In contrast, Keates focused more on the grounded reality that surrounded the making of the piece, writing about the frenetic process that Handel had upon undertaking the composition of "The Messiah" in the year 1741, spanning over three weeks.
According to him, numerous edits were made by Handel himself even after the debut of his piece, which the writer observed in the original manuscript currently held in the British Library. This feverish pursuit to perfect "The Messiah" continued up until Handel's last performance of the piece a few days prior to his passing in 1759.
Recent Notable Performances of 'The Messiah'
Fast forward a couple of centuries, and the composition is now part of an annual tradition, with Christmas recitals piling up year after year. Of note are fairly recent performances that highlight the organic evolution of the Handel piece.
One example is Christopher Hogwood's faithful recording alongside The Academy of Ancient Music in 1980, opting for the well-documented version of the 1754 composition.
In contrast, the veteran American conductor John Nelson wanted to incorporate all versions of Handel's masterpiece into one recording. This was published into two CDS and a DVD in November of 2022.
