Handel’s Messiah – by way of Mozart

Hearing Handel’s Messiah performed by choir, orchestra, and four vocal soloists is always a profound experience. It is Handel’s most famous work, filled with exquisite arias and magnificent choruses – including the celebrated Hallelujah chorus. In this performance, we hear the German-language version created nearly 50 years after the English original. By then, the Baroque era had given way to Classicism, and Mozart expanded the orchestration while making several minor adjustments in line with his own instincts and the musical ideals of his time.

Mozart first encountered Messiah in London in the 1760s, and when he undertook his adaptation in 1789, he enriched the orchestration with trombones, horns, flutes, and clarinets – in addition to Handel’s oboes, bassoon, and trumpets. The result is a striking, vibrant, and grand reinterpretation. The German text and the new orchestration played a significant role in spreading Messiah across Europe.

Today, Handel’s original English version is most commonly performed, making this a rare and special opportunity to hear Mozart’s take on Handel’s iconic masterpiece. Messiah was originally intended for Easter and premiered at a charity concert in Dublin on 13 April 1742. It was an enormous success, and Handel continued to perform the work annually in support of London’s children’s hospital until his death in 1759.