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Messiah: The Composition and Afterlife of Handel's Masterpiece Hardcover – Illustrated, October 24, 2017

by Jonathan Keates (Author)

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Part of: The Landmark Library (8 books)

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From Handel's renowned biographer, the story of one of the most celebrated compositions of Western classical music, Handel's famous oratorio, Messiah

In the late summer of 1741, George Friderick Handel, composed an oratorio set to words from the King James Bible, rich in tuneful arias and magnificent choruses. Jonathan Keates recounts the history and afterlife of Messiah, one of the best-loved works in the classical repertoire. He relates the composition's first performances and its relationship with spirituality in the age of the Enlightenment, and examines how Messiah, after Handel's death, became an essential component of our musical canon.

An authoritative and affectionate celebration of the high-point of the Georgian golden age of music, Messiah is essential reading for lovers of classical music.

Part of series

The Landmark Library
Print length

176 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Basic Books
Publication date

October 24, 2017
Dimensions

5.4 x 0.75 x 7.75 inches
ISBN-10

1541697359
ISBN-13

978-1541697355
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Delightful.... This richly illustrated book is like a lively performance of the piece itself.... Captures the essence of Handel's magic."―Wall Street Journal

"With its astute commentaries on the operas, this book makes a brilliantly lucid guide to Handel's evolving art."
―Independent (UK)

"Keates is an enthusiastic, serious and careful writer.... The author clearly knows what he is talking about, and illuminates what we thought we knew."
―Guardian (UK), Book of the Week

"However you like to hear your Messiah, you should enjoy it more for reading Keates's lucid guide...his analysis is taut and his narrative skillfully concise."
―Times (UK)

"One strength of Keates's book is the reminder that it is not only the music of Messiah that is extraordinary. So is the libretto, penned by Charles Jennens.... Keates's book does what it needs to do in awakening an urge to hear Handel's masterwork again, and now with a bit deeper understanding."―Christianity Today

The Deseret News
"Keates illuminates the biography of this famous oratorio.... Messiah's life story is one of humble beginnings, soaring successes, controversial adaptations, and eventual redemption, not unlike the scriptures from whence it came."―The Deseret News

About the Author

Jonathan Keates is a distinguished and prize-winning biographer, novelist and travel writer, and author of the biographies Handel and Purcell. He is chairman of the Venice in Peril fund and a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He won both the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Hawthornden Prize for his collection of short stories, Allegro Postillions (1983). Jonathan Keates is a regular contributor to the Observer (UK) and the Times Literary Supplement (UK) among a number of other publications.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; Illustrated edition (October 24, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1541697359
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1541697355
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.4 x 0.75 x 7.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,678,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #561 in Classical Musician Biographies
- #4,258 in Music History & Criticism (Books)
- #4,385 in German History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

54 global ratings

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richard k. dieterle, jr.

Great Jumping Off Point

Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2018

Verified Purchase

Already know lots about the Messiah - sung several arias, etc. and with groups. So, this was a good, fast read that added some info about how it had morphed over the centuries in its performance style. Highly recommend it for the non-musician, as it doesn't get bogged down in key setting analysis, etc., which only music afficienados and music students would find interesting. Great first read for someone wanting a jumping off point.

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

James O. Allen

Delightful reading !

Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2018

Verified Purchase

Much interesting information on MESSIAH! highly recommended for anyone interested in Handel and his MESSIAH.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kevin Flanagan

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2018

Verified Purchase

Very clear and vibrant sound.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

William G. Ludtke

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2018

Thank you

A nicely written book-length tribute to Handel's Messiah

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2018

In recent years, there have been a number of books on the subject of this well-loved Handel oratorio. In fact Amazon lists three other books that examine the oratorio from different angles. This relatively new Keates book is aimed at a wider audience compared to the Burrows monograph in the Cambridge Music Handbooks series. One thing I like about it is that it considers the words and music and offers some profiles of the people who created and took part in the first performance and the repeat performances during Handel's lifetime.

Keates starts his book by introducing readers to Handel in 1741 before shifting his narrative to Dublin, where the oratorio was first presented. As the book progresses, he introduces some of the musicians and singers who took part in the first performance and profiles Handel's collaborator Charles Jennens, who put the libretto together in the first place. The second half is taken up by an analysis of the libretto and the music, a recounting of the revivals during Handel's lifetime, and the reception of the work after Handel's death.

I am fond of Keates's approachable yet erudite writing style. His writing makes audiences feel at ease regardless of their music background. It is less dry than some academic books that have been written on the subject. However, I did feel that Keates could have improved the flow and the focus of the book. I am not doubting his erudition, but I did feel that he spent a bit more time than is necessary offering profiles. It would be easy for readers to be exhausted by the time they reach the really important part about why the oratorio matters. Also, I felt that he could have improved the flow of the book by trimming and re-ordering parts of his content. I felt that he could have shortened the chapters that deal with the oratorio genre and Handel's journey to Ireland. At the same time, I felt he could have brought the Charles Jennens chapter forward,, after the oratorio chapter. Jennens is an important figure in the story of Messiah, and it wouldn't be fair for readers to wait till the fifth chapter to meet him. I think these things might have made the book flow more smoothly for readers.

Despite my concerns, I think this is still a nice little book about the Handel oratorio that general audiences will enjoy. It is erudite, holistic and engaging to general audiences. At the price it is going it would make a nice companion piece to any recording of the oratorio.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

In-depth analysis of Handel's oratoria

Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2020

Handel composed and performed operas and oratorios based on dramatic events or characters described in the Bible. The texts for these were generally provided by his friend and collaborator, Charles Jennens, and were performed in London and throughout England to general acclaim.

Jennens, who compiled the biblical verses which comprise the text of Messiah, was a devout Christian, and an active devotee of the Anglican church. In fact, it was Jennens who devised the original concept of Messiah, and sent his outline for it to Handel. Messiah was distinguished from previous oratorios by being devoid of a dramatic narrative line. It is divided into three parts, the first one portraying biblical prophecies regarding the coming of a future redeemer, the second the events around the birth and death of Jesus, and the third the message of redemption that is the essence of Christianity.

Parts of the book are fairly technical with regard to the scoring and performances of the oratorio, but on the whole the author provides a clear and erudite account of his subject, which is clearly one for which he feels great affection. The book concludes with Jennens’s outline of the content of Messiah, a bibliography, and a timeline giving the main dates and events in Handel’s life.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kenny Weiner

Not great

Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2018

I rally hopes for a fascinating tale about Handel’s masterpiece. Instead I got a poorly constructed and terribly written piece. Then sentences are, at times, indecipherable. And the structure of the story seems to jump from one thought to another. The only way I got through this book was knowing it was short.

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2019

Good purchase if you’re dipping your foot into baroque music. This is not a deeply scholarly book but is instead a brief primer on the very basics of this most revered piece.

It really whetted my appetite to learn more and to find other pieces that were mentioned. Appendices are excellent as is the final chapter wherein the author discusses how “Messiah” has been abused and resurrected.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

MB (Norfolk)

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 13, 2017

Verified Purchase

My second copy - a present for my son.

2 people found this helpful

Martyn J Salter

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 15, 2017

Verified Purchase

Brilliant book about my favourite music.

One person found this helpful

Yi-Peng

A nicely written book-length tribute to this well-loved Handel oratorio

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2018

Verified Purchase

In recent years, there have been a number of books on the subject of this well-loved Handel oratorio. In fact Amazon lists three other books that examine the oratorio from different angles. This relatively new Keates book is aimed at a wider audience compared to the Burrows monograph in the Cambridge Music Handbooks series. One thing I like about it is that it considers the words and music and offers some profiles of the people who created and took part in the first performance and the repeat performances during Handel's lifetime.

Keates starts his book by introducing readers to Handel in 1741 before shifting his narrative to Dublin, where the oratorio was first presented. As the book progresses, he introduces some of the musicians and singers who took part in the first performance and profiles Handel's collaborator Charles Jennens, who put the libretto together in the first place. The second half is taken up by an analysis of the libretto and the music, a recounting of the revivals during Handel's lifetime, and the reception of the work after Handel's death.

I am fond of Keates's approachable yet erudite writing style. His writing makes audiences feel at ease regardless of their music background. It is less dry than some academic books that have been written on the subject. However, I did feel that Keates could have improved the flow and the focus of the book. I am not doubting his erudition, but I did feel that he spent a bit more time than is necessary offering profiles. It would be easy for readers to be exhausted by the time they reach the really important part about why the oratorio matters. Also, I felt that he could have improved the flow of the book by trimming and re-ordering parts of his content. I felt that he could have shortened the chapters that deal with the oratorio genre and Handel's journey to Ireland. At the same time, I felt he could have brought the Charles Jennens chapter forward,, after the oratorio chapter. Jennens is an important figure in the story of Messiah, and it wouldn't be fair for readers to wait till the fifth chapter to meet him. I think these things might have made the book flow more smoothly for readers.

Despite my concerns, I think this is still a nice little book about the Handel oratorio that general audiences will enjoy. It is erudite, holistic and engaging to general audiences. At the price it is going it would make a nice companion piece to any recording of the oratorio.

A book and music lover

Shallow

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2018

Verified Purchase

A nicely produced book with nice illustrations, but the text is very short. I learnt very little from this book that I didn't already know. I was looking for some insights and didn't find any. If you are looking for any significant analysis of the music as music, you won't find it.

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