He was depressed and on the brink of ruin the moment he created some of the most glorious music ever written. Witnesses report that Handel was in the midst of writing his masterpiece and was found weeping at the keyboard, absolutely overcome with the beauty and majesty flowing from his pen.
And it wasn't just Handel that knew he had a blockbuster. At the premiere, the Dublin Journal wrote:
Words are wanting to express the exquisite Delight Messiah afforded to the admiring crowded Audience. The Sublime, the Grand, and the Tender, adapted to the most elevated, majestick, and moving Words, conspired to transport and charm the ravished Heart and Ear.
'Messiah' made Handel a famous and wealthy man, and its message continues to resonate 273 years later.
This Easter Sunday at noon, join Alison Young for the complete story from prophecy to resurrection in a stunning live concert with the Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Chorale and soloists conducted by a self-proclaimed "Messiah junkie," Christopher Warren-Green.
Supported by Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis and in part by the Hognander Family Foundation.
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