Handel wrote Messiah in an astonishingly short time—about 24 days. The speed and efficiency with which he worked are often highlighted, considering the complexity and length of the oratorio. The text of Messiah was compiled by Charles Jennens, a wealthy landowner and literary scholar.
Handel is said to have been intensely inspired during the composition process. There are anecdotes, possibly apocryphal, that suggest he was so overcome with emotion while writing the "Hallelujah" chorus that he exclaimed, "I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself!"
Messiah's text is a collection of biblical passages arranged into three parts:
Part I: Prophecies of the coming of the Messiah and the Nativity of Christ.
Part II: The Passion of Christ, His crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension.
Part III: Reflections on the significance of Christ's victory over death, culminating in the promise of eternal life and the final judgment.
PART 1
1. Sinfonia – (Instrumental)
2.…
