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Amazing pieces of classical music - 16

And, of course, there's Handel's Messiah (HWV 56), an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 of which the text was compiled from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter. This marvel of a work was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.

That Kenneth Clark's tv-series Civilization was especially fond of the female voice in their soundtrack had thus yet again been demonstrated by the addition of this particular performance of one excerpt from Handel's Messiah. It's the work performed with the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction by Leopold Stokowski in 1966, and the most successful of the excerpts was indeed "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth", featuring a superb vocal performance by soprano Sheila Armstrong, who smoothly interpreted the melody line. She was a singer from Ashington, Northumberland, who had won the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Award in London the previous year

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Thinkerbell · 41-45, F
I long ago heard the story that Haendel composed the entire oratorio in less than a month during August-September of 1741. Added to the story was that he had a pressing performance deadline, but I see from your post that the first performance wasn't until about six months later.

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Thinkerbell · 41-45, F
@val70

Yes, I had heard about that. And, starting at 3:40, Handel also used that same duet for "All We, Like Sheep".

[media=https://youtu.be/m-PvpzxZfcQ]
val70 · 51-55
@Thinkerbell I hear and read that The Long Beach Camerata Singers highlighted this borrowing as an example of Handel's technique and history. Graham Abbott mentioned this one...

[media=https://youtu.be/a4PpGj8gPOc]

a lot of Water Music too in there :)
Thinkerbell · 41-45, F
@val70

Yes, and the second movement begins with "Lift up Your Heads".

Amazing that Handel had so many previously-composed melodies that fit the Messiah libretto (which he didn't write) so well.
exexec · 70-79, C
One of my traditions is to listen to the entire "Messiah" during Advent every year. People look at me a bit oddly when they hear the music coming from my pickup truck CD player.
val70 · 51-55
@exexec That's something I miss now in my new car... the CD player!
exexec · 70-79, C
@val70 My wife's car doesn't have one either, but my truck is 23 years old.
MadameFrazzleBottom · 46-50, F
I love this ❤

 
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