Handel Born: Baroque Master Behind Messiah
George Frideric Handel composed Messiah in 24 days in 1741. Not revised it, not polished it — wrote the entire thing, 259 pages of score, in three weeks and three days. He barely left his room. Servants found his food untouched. When he reached the 'Hallelujah' chorus, he reportedly said 'I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself.' He was German-born, spent years in Italy learning the Italian style, then settled in London and became so English he changed his name from Georg Friedrich Händel. He went blind in his final years and kept conducting performances from memory. He collapsed at a Messiah performance in April 1759. He died eight days later.
February 23, 1685
341 years ago
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