Santa Fe Symphony, Chorus stage ‘Messiah’
Oratorios were the traveling Broadway shows of the 18th century.
Handel debuted “The Messiah” in Dublin in part to test it before moving his masterpiece to London, Santa Fe Symphony principal conductor Guillermo Figueroa said.
The orchestra will perform Handel’s most famous work on Saturday, Nov. 17 and Sunday, Nov. 18, at the Lensic Performing Arts Center.
Less fashionable in the latter part of his career, Handel desperately needed a hit. In the late summer of 1741, William Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire and Lord Lieutenant of Dublin, invited him to compose a series of works in Ireland for charity.
Handel wrote “The Messiah” in 24 days. It opened in a hall with a normal capacity of 600. The concert was such a success that 142 people were released from debtor’s prison. Still, the composer waited a year before premiering it in London. Seven years later, in 1750, he staged it as a fundraiser for the Foundling Hospital. The hospital still possesses Handel’s autographed score and performance notes.
“I believe Handel himself would have been surprised at the lasting success of the piece,” Figueroa said. “When you hear great music and it is so accessible and popular and easy on the ear, you have an absolute hit. The ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ is probably, next to ‘The Nutcracker,’ the most recognizable tune that ever was.
“They are absolute masterpieces and they are cash cows.”
The soloists are Hailey Clark, soprano; Daryl Freedman, mezzosoprano; John Tiranno, tenor; and Joseph Beutel, bass-baritone.