River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-10-22
The story of HandeI's Messiah"

The story of the production of this
master-work may be interesting.
1t was the year 1741 that Handel
received an invitation from the Lord
Lieutenant of Ireland to visit him in
Dublin. The invitation was accepted,
and the composer started from London
about the 4th of November Owing to
contrary winds, his journey was
DELAYED at Chester, and it was while
here that Handel, wishing to meet
with one who could sing at sight some
parts of his new oratOrio was
recommended to Janson, a member
of the Cathedral choir The vocalist
was engaged, but does not seem to
have pleased Handel, who is reported
to have said, you scoundrel! lid
sight?' TO which the irate composer
received the meek reply, Eyes, sir,
but not at first sight. Handel arrived
in Dublin on the 18th of November,
and went to reside in Abbey Street.
From the 23d of December to the 9th
of April following, two series of six
concerts were given, and on the 18th
of April, 1742, the first performance of
The Messiah took place, the objects
being 1.-THE relief of the prisoners in
the several jails, and for the support
of MERGERS Hospital, and of the
Charitable Infirmary on the Inn S
Quay" The price of the tickets was
halt guinea, and it may be noted by
those curious in matters of fashion,
that request was published, ''that the
ladies who honor this performance
with their presence would be pleased
to come without hoops, as it will
greatly increase the charity by making
room for more company
Faulkener's Journal contained an ac-
count of the rehearsal in the following
terms: yesterday Mr.. Handel new
grand sacred oratorio, called The
Messiah, was rehearsed at the Music
Hall in Fishamble street, to a most
grand. polite, and crowded audience,
and was performed so well that it gave
universal satisfaction to all present,
and was allowed by the greatest
judges to be the finest composition of
music that ever was heard Regard
ing the first public performance the
Dublin News Letter said: ''The best
Judges allowed it to be the most fin
ished piece of music. Words are want
ing to express the exquisite delight it
afforded to the admiring crowded aud
ience,' etc. The performance real
lied four hundred pounds, and this
was considered so satisfactory that the
oratorio was given a second time on
the Sd of June following. Mrs. Cihher
gave her services gratuitously for the
first performance, and so thoroughly
did she enter into the spirit of the
music that DR.. Delaney, the friend of
Swift, who was present, exclaimed,
Woman, for this be all thy sins for
givcn" Thus took place the first per-
Torrance of work which has gone on
increasing in popularity-untouched
by time, unrivaled by progress. In the
words of an early Edinburgh Review
writer, at has almost won the reality
of an article of belief, and
the solemnity of an object Of
worship, by its power to adapt itself to
all intelligences, to touch the lowliest,
to raise the loftiest. to content the most
fastidious.' And to think that this
immortal WOfk was cOlupieteu III
twenty-three days, when its composer
was fifty-six years of age!
Very different from that of Dublin
was the reception accorded to The
Messiah in London. Handel an
nounced it as New Sacred Oratorio, >
and a performance took place in 1743.
Such, however, was the hostile feeling
in some quarters against the composer
that the oratorio proved failure, and
it was not till 1850, eight years after its
first performance in Dublin. that The
Messiah met in London with the sue
cess its merits should at first have COM
manded. After this it was received
with enthusiasm on every occasion of
its representation. and it must have
been difficult to realize that this was
the same work which few years pre-
viously had been received with such
apathy, if not disapprobation. The
last time "The Messiah was given
during the lifetime of Handel was on
the 9th of April, 1859, at Coyent Gar
den, just a week before his death
Frank Leslie Sunday Magazine.