THE MESSIAH

During his stay in Dublin in 1741, Händel wished to hold a charity performance and chose to perform his sixth oratorio composed the previous year: The Messiah. The concert was held in The Great Music Hall and raised so much expectation in subsequent performances that in order to make best use of the space in the auditorium, newspapers requested that men attend without swords and women not wear voluminous gowns.

As was customary at the time, composers adapted the score depending on the situation they encountered. Thus, today we can find countless versions of this popular oratorio. When he had an exceptional singer at his disposal, Handel changed his line to make use of their voice, and if the singer became ill, he rewrote his music for someone else: for Handel, the score was a magnificent living blueprint that he updated based on the musicians at his disposal. In the years after his death the work was adapted for mass performances, with giant orchestras and choirs. Even Mozart expanded his orchestration in an attempt to modernise the composition for contemporary tastes.

This new project brings together different ensembles and soloists from our region in order to create a space where dialogue on the divergent visions of this fascinating score will lead to sharing with the public a rich, sincere, and faithful reading of one of the most significant and performed oratorios in the history of music: HÄNDEL’S MESSIAH.