Begin a life-long tradition — give your family the gift of Handel’s beloved Messiah. Handel's Messiah and Christmas are Perfect Together. There is no better way to enjoy the Christmas season than hearing The Masterwork Chorus' presentation of Handel's Messiah at Carnegie Hall.
Messiah (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer (which are worded slightly differently from their King James counterparts).
Handel's reputation in England, where he had lived since 1713, had been established through his compositions of Italian opera. He turned to English oratorio in the 1730s, in response to changes in public taste; Messiah was his sixth work in this genre. Although its structure resembles that of conventional opera, it is not in dramatic form; there are no impersonations of characters and very little direct speech.
Instead, Jennens's text is an extended reflection on Jesus Christ as Messiah, moving from the prophetic phrases of Isaiah and others, through the Incarnation, Passion and Resurrection of Christ to his ultimate glorification in heaven.
Age Guidance: 13
Show Notes: 1 Intermission
Performance Schedule:
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20th @ 7:30 PM
Music
George Frideric Handel
Director
Chris Shepard, Conductor