From Handel's renowned biographer, the story of one of the most
celebrated compositions of Western classical music, Handel's famous
oratorio, Messiah
In the late summer of 1741, George Friderick Handel, composed an
oratorio set to words from the King James Bible, rich in tuneful arias
and magnificent choruses. Jonathan Keates recounts the history and
afterlife of Messiah, one of the best-loved works in the classical
repertoire. He relates the composition's first performances and its
relationship with spirituality in the age of the Enlightenment, and
examines how Messiah, after Handel's death, became an essential
component of our musical canon.
An authoritative and affectionate celebration of the high-point of the
Georgian golden age of music, Messiah is essential reading for lovers
of classical music.