Handel's Messiah: A Celebration: A Richly Illustrated History of the Music and Its Eighteenth-Century Background

by Richard Luckett

An authority on eighteenth-century music explores the background and composition of Messiah and gives the complex subsequent history of the work. Paintings, engravings, caricatures, and facsimiles of Handel's autograph score illustrate the text. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book

Genres: Music, History

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 1992

Reviews

[Jeff]

I hope the author had more fun writing this book than I did reading it - because if not, he did not have any fun at all.

[Judith Gunn]

I thought I was buying a book about the oratorio: this actually is about the history of its performances. It might be wonderful as a book on that subject, but I didn't read it because I had no interest in the subject. If you are interested in the music, don't buy or check out this book.

[Shelley Alongi]

Strongly accademic sometimes to the point of distraction.

[Jonathan]

A few new insights and thoughts sparked by this. A pleasure to read.

[Diana]

This book was well researched, culling from many other Handel and Messiah sources. I was expecting it to focus solely on the Messiah, but the author goes into quite a bit of detail (early chapters) to lay the groundwork on Handel's background and that of the other "players" in the creation of the Messiah. I felt that some of the background details were unnecessary to the telling of the Messiah story, but it proved interesting, nonetheless. The author even corrects a number of Handel/Messiah myths. It's worth the read, if you're interested in Handel and his Messiah.

[Michelle Marie]

Good subject, read to much like a dissertation for me.