Salt Lake Telegram | 1928-01-01 | Page 23 | Music Go Round

T ble fl UND Monday afternoon at 4 o'clock the annual presentation of or Handels Handel's Messiah will bo be offered by the Salt Lake Oratorio society in the Tabernacle Squire Coop director r of note will vill wield the baton and the society will wiIl have the tue services of outstanding soloists An excellent excellent excel excel- lent performance of the masterpiece of all oratorios is aSb Handel Handel had had arrived at the rIpe age of 56 years when he undertook the task of writing what has since proved to be the most sublime work of its kind in all the literature of music Yet so great was the creative creative cre are urge that he finished the tho co colossal colossal colossal co- co task In tw twenty four days Although of German parentage Handel had for a number of years been a resident res-ident of London where ho wrote and produced a considerable considerable considerable consider consider- able number of operas in the ItalIan Italian Italian Ital Ital- ian style The reception accorded his work worl had been gratifying yet et the tho composer had been subjected to continuous exasperation and in insult insult in- in sult suit by a considerable group of enemies en- en enemies enemies aroused through his blunt and fearless condemnation of medi medi- When the lord lieutenant of Ireland invited him to Dublin for a visit he accepted readily the op opportunity opportunity opportunity op- op to get away from the petty jealousies of the musical set of ot London With him went the newly completed score of the Mes Mes- siah The Initial performance was given on Tuesday April 13 13 1742 the proceeds proceeds proceeds pro pro- of the affair being destined for Cor the relief relict of prisoners in the several and for the tho support of Mercers Mercer's hospital In Stephens street and of ot the charitable in infirmary In- In on the thc Inns Inn's quay It Is extremely gratifying that Handel should dedicate dedicato this th greatest of his Ills works to charity and that since Its Inception the tho Messiah has contributed contributed contributed con con- more money to charity charily than has lias any other work worl of ot art The Messiah was first produced Ii London at Covent Garden on March 23 1743 It was at this performance that King George IX hi was so 80 moved by the majesty and sublimity of the work that he es established established es- es the still existent custom of standing during th the the- rendition of oC the Hallelujah chorus The oratorio ora era torio todo was produced thirty-four thirty times during ing Handels Handel's lifetime and hIs ills last public act was to direct it ita ita ita a w week ek prior to his death The text of th the oratorio is by Charles Jennens and consists of literal literal literal lit lit- eral selections from the Old and New Testaments Testament It Is an InterestIng interesting interesting Interest- Interest Ing circumstance that Jennens was h heartily disappointed disappoInt d with t the tte e mu mu- sic The Messiah consists of three parts proceeded by an orchestral prelude The first part tells of the thO coming o ot of the M Messiah the stories of or the prophets and the celestial announcements heralding his birth These are followed by the tidings of great joy by the the- shepherds tending tending tending tend tend- ing their flocks Tho The second part relates the actual existence of Christ upon earth telling in turn the story of his passion death and resurrection T Tie The e third part Is in inthe inthe inthe the the- nature of ot a statement of the Creed testifying to the existence of Christ the Redeemer the spiritual spiritual spiritual spirit spirit- ual resurrection and the promise of eternal happiness Only the the genius genius of a Handel could have brought into existence a work of such sublimity as the Messiah With a text by n no means dramatic he lie has ha-a produced a purely contemplative contemplative contemplative work that has stood the test of continual repetition with ever ever- increasing popularity The MessIah Messiah Messiah Mes siah is and will l forever rever remain remain a living monument to the broad sympathetic sympathetic sympathetic sym sym- pathetic and benevolent understanding understanding understanding under under- standing of the tile greatest choral writers in musical history