Messiah
The Dublin version from 1742
Händel
Elina Rantamäki, soprano
Katariina Heikkilä, alto
Niall Chorell, tenor
Petteri Salomaa, bass
Canzonetta Nova
Finnish Baroque Orchestra
Nils Schweckendiek, conductor
In the eyes of the English, the German-born composer Georg Friedrich Händel finally became truly British thanks to his oratorios with their appreciation of the English choral music. The composer himself conducted his oratorio Messiah on several occasions and made changes to his composition as required. In practice, the revisions could be for instance transposing to a key more suitable for the soloist or changing a solo aria into a duet.
Messiah was premiered in Dublin almost exactly 282 years ago, and this Dublin version is performed in Järvenpää church by soloists together with the oratorio choir Canzonetta Nova and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra. The conductor is Nils Schweckendiek, who recently received a Grammy award. On the day of the concert, it is exactly 265 years since the death of Händel as well as 40 years since Canzonetta Nova started its journey among choirs.
The libretto of Messiah was compiled by Händel’s friend Charles Jennens (1700–1773) and contains excerpts from mostly the Old Testament. Händel started working on the text in August 1741 when he got an invitation from the Duke of Devonshire to give a concert in Dublin in the following winter. Händel is said to have finished his oratorio Messiah in three weeks.
The composer didn’t have information about the circumstances for the concert beforehand when he travelled to Dublin in November 1741. The first performance was on Easter on 13th April 1742 in New Music Hall on Fishamble Street, and Messiah was performed by a smallish ensemble consisting of just over 20 singers and members of the orchestra. The locals showed plenty of interest already during the open rehearsals.
Ever since the successful concerts in Dublin, the beloved Messiah has been among the regularly performed works by Händel up to this day. The timeless text is like a credo, appropriate for both Christmas and Easter. The text is artfully framed by the emotional, dramatic och even regal English baroque music.
Canzonetta Nova is an oratorio choir with approximately 70 singers, performing large sacred works yearly in the Central Uusimaa region. The choirmaster is the soprano Elina Rantamäki, cantor in the Järvenpää parish.
Duration: 3 h (incl. 2 intermission)