The Messiah

On today’s date in 1744, Handel’s Messiah was performed for the 1st time in London. It was originally composed there in 1741. Because of its popularity during the Christmas season, few realize that it was written for the Easter celebration. The Messiah is about the birth and passion of the Lord Jesus.

An earlier version premiered in Dublin in 1742, but that version was altered to produce the version that was performed in London. The 1744 version is the one that forms the basis of our modern version. For additional information see gfhandel .org.

It is said that he completed this masterpiece during a marathon work session of about 23 days, subsisiting mostly on coffee. I knew there was another reason to like this guy!