George frideric handel famous compositions

1. The Messiah

In a concise survey of my favourite Handel pieces, it would be impossible not to begin with The Messiah.

This is probably the cornerstone of Handel’s substantial output and one of the most popular oratorios ever written. The oratorio was composed in 1741 to a text that was assembled by Charles Jennings.

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It came at a time when Handel was not so much in favour with the London crowd as he had been in previous years. He needed a work that would enable him to showcase his magnificent talents and rise again to the pinnacle of the cultural heart of England.

The Messiah masterfully combines Handel’s tremendous flair for dramatic opera alongside his gift for the oratorio.

Handel chose to employ only modest orchestral and vocal forces for his sixth venture into this musical form, only in later posthumous versions of The Messiah did the often gigantic collection of singers and orchestra become more usual.

What perhaps, is the most remarkable aspect of this piece is