Messiah
Last evening, I had the privilege of attending my first live performance of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah. It was unforgettable. The oratorio, composed in 1741 and premiered on April 13, 1742 in Dublin, was performed by the Florida Orchestra and a number of choral groups. The only disappointment was that the first portion of the oratorio, that regarding the birth of Jesus was not performed. Parts II and III, covering the death and resurrection, were beautifully performed and moving. The text for the entire work is drawn directly from scripture. The libretto can be found here.
Handel completed Messiah in just 24 days. The story is told that he shut himself up in his room, eating and sleeping little, while he completed this work. On September 14, 1741, he emerged with the words:
I did think I did see Heaven before me and the great God Himself!
It is also told that Handel’s assistant walked in to Handel’s room after shouting to him for several minutes with no response. Handel, in tears, held up the score to the movement known as the Hallelujah Chorus, and said:
I have seen the face of God.
We stood, last evening, for the Hallelujah Chorus, as has been done almost universally at the performance of this piece. Tradition states that when the first few notes were played, King George II rose from his chair and stood. Protocol demands that when the King stands, all stand. Men have suggested that King George stood in accordance with the custom that one stands in the presence of royalty as a sign of respect. The Hallelujah Chorus clearly places Christ as the King of Kings. In standing, King George II accepted that he too is subject to the Lord of Lords.