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December 2001 Program Notes
Messiah (II)
by Mary Burke
At this time of year, and this point in history—when our minds are full of the recovery from the September attacks, and the humanitarian tragedy of Afghanistan—the subject of charity is never far from the popular consciousness. Any performance of Handel's Messiah makes a fitting occasion to reflect on the notion of charity, as this great work owes its existence and popularity at least partially to its connections with charitable institutions.
In the summer of 1741, Handel felt rather battered by circumstances. The opera season recently ended had been a difficult one, and the effort of composing and producing performances of his works had left him worn out, discouraged, and depleted in both health and finances. He even spoke of sitting out the next season altogether. His spirits were lifted and his interest piqued when the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland invited him to come to Dublin and produce a series of concerts to benefit various charitable institutions. During the summer before his departure, Handel worked hard and rapidly to finish a new oratorio for the occasion, using a libretto by Charles Jennens that incorporated texts from the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer.
When he arrived in Dublin in November of 1742, Handel found a very active musical scene where benefit concerts were very common—indeed, his own music was frequently performed in fundraisers there. The close relationship between music and charity served all parties very well: The promise of high-quality music and the occasional international celebrity attracted large (and wealthy) audiences, which brought in plenty of money for the charities, while giving the performers satisfying and steady work, and allowing the donors to help a worthy cause while being entertained in style.
Several of the charities in Dublin even defined themselves by their connection to music. The Charitable Music Society, for example, focused its efforts on "prisoners' relief," more specifically aid to those in debtor's prison; the Society even built the New Music Hall, site of Messiah's premiere, for benefit performances. The Philharmonic Society, on the other hand, maintained an affiliation mainly with Mercer's Hospital, and also acted as the liaison between Handel and St. Patrick's Cathedral, from whose choir Handel recruited his chorus.
By the time Messiah rehearsals began, Handel had already put on two series of six concerts each, both of them tremendously successful. Therefore anticipation was high when the Dublin newspapers announced on March 27, 1742, that "Mr. Handel's new Grand Oratorio, call'd the Messiah" would be performed on April 13 at the Music Hall in Fishamble Street. This premiere performance brought together three of the city's main charities as sponsors/beneficiaries: The prisoners' relief fund of the Charitable Music Society, Mercer's Hospital, and the Charitable Infirmary. Much as movie studios do nowadays, Handel gave a sneak preview in the form of an open rehearsal on April 9, which generated even more favorable publicity.
As is well known, Messiah received overwhelmingly favorable reviews, and got a second performance later that spring. The Dublin Journal also made a point of mentioning the beneficent aspect of the concert:
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It is but Justice to Mr. Handel, that the World should know, he generously gave the Money arising from this Grand Performance, to be equally shared by the Society for relieving Prisoners, the Charitable Infirmary, and Mercer's Hospital, for which they will ever gratefully remember his name; and that [the choir members and soloists] acted also on the same disinterested Principle, satisfied with the deserved Applause of the Publick, and the conscious Pleasure of promoting such useful, and extensive Charity.
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When Handel returned to England after these triumphs, however, he did not rush to put Messiah before the London audiences. At the time, the cultural community was engaged in a heated debate about the propriety of presenting sacred oratorios in the manner of "popular entertainments", that is, as public concerts in theaters for paying audiences, sung by persons of dubious morality (i.e. opera singers). A work like Messiah—which is about Christianity itself, rather than a dramatic presentation of a Bible story—would have aroused even greater indignation in such an atmosphere. Handel, therefore, played it cagy, and announced the work simply as "A New Sacred Oratorio" for its London premiere at Covent Garden on March 23, 1743. Perhaps only the brilliance of the music saved Messiah from being received with outright hostility—as it was, the reaction from the London audience was tepid.
Handel, however, would not give up on his creation. He revived it several times over the next few years, with slightly better success, but in 1750 he entered a relationship that launched Messiah on its way to the tremendous popularity it continues to enjoy. In May of that year, Handel produced a performance of Messiah "to signalize the opening of a new chapel" for the Foundling Hospital in London, a charity very popular among artists. This time, demand for tickets was so great that it was necessary to schedule a second performance to accommodate the crowd that had to be turned away from the first. Presenting the oratorio in the context of a charitable cause apparently sufficed to eliminate any lingering doubts about its propriety, and from 1750 until Handel's death, each oratorio season ended with a performance of Messiah, followed in May by another, for the benefit of the Foundling Hospital.
After Handel's death, Messiah continued to receive occasional performances in Ireland and eventually in other parts of the United Kingdom, often for charitable causes. In 1784, the first of a series of Commemorations was held in Westminster Abbey, the beginning of a gradual wave of ever bigger, ever grander performances. From that time on, with a special burst of growth in the 1820s, Messiah became a staple of huge festivals and single performances alike, a vast number of which gave the proceeds to charities both artistic and humanitarian. Perhaps in part because of this increasingly strong connection to charitable giving, Messiah's "season" has shifted from Easter to Christmas over the years.
We cannot say with certainty that Handel composed Messiah as a benefit piece first and foremost—no doubt he was also motivated in some degree by basic artistic enthusiasm—but its projected charitable use surely played a significant role. In any case, his long-standing connection with the Foundling Hospital is proof that he did sincerely wish to place his work in the service of deserving causes. As Charles Burney wrote, Messiah "has been heard in all parts of the Kingdom with increasing reverence and delight; it has fed the hungry, clothed the naked, fostered the orphan, and enriched succeeding managers of Oratories more than any single musical production in this or any other country."
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