George F. Handel: Sinfony, 'Comfort ye,' & 'Ev'ry valley' from Messiah with Synthesizer V (1741)

Messiah, Part I

0:06 Sinfony (Grave) (violins, viola, cello, double bass, organ, theorbo)
1:33 Sinfony (Allegro moderato) (violins, viola, cello, double bass, organ, theorbo)
3:36 Recitative: Comfort ye, my people (tenor, violins, viola, cello, double bass, harpsichord)
6:45 Aria: Ev'ry valley shall be exalted (tenor, violins, viola, cello, double bass, harpsichord)

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) composed the oratorio Messiah, his magnum opus, in a furious frenzy of inspiration while sequestered in his London apartment for 24 days. His audience at the 1742 Dublin premiere was enthralled despite inadequate rehearsal time, simple stage sets, absent special effects, amateur musicians and lackluster costumes. Handel had already demonstrated his knack for musical drama with his many blockbuster Italian operas of earlier times. After Dublin, he brought his magnificent creation back home to England to raise money for the Foundling Hospital (central orphanage) in London. And there, until his passing in 1759, he continued his philanthropy for the poorest of the poor children with annual concerts featuring ever more elaborate instrumentation and choir size.

The lyrics for Handel's oratorio were extracted from the pages of the King James Bible by his deeply religious friend and patron Charles Jennens. The texts for the recitative "Comfort ye, my people" and the aria "Every valley shall be exalted" were paraphrases from Isaiah 40. Their words expressed the hope for a brighter future for the Israelite nation which had been conquered in the 6th century B.C.E. by Nebuchadnezzar and held captive by subsequent Babylonian kings for generations.

The soundtrack for this latest rendition was generated using the Synthesizer V software and the KEVIN English language voice bank; the instrumental parts were simulated using the iPhone app Music Studio 2. My electronic orchestra consists of violins, violas, cellos, double bass, theorbo, chamber organ and harpsichord - as was typical of early 18th century chamber groups. We know that Handel had, at his disposal, violins, trumpets, harpsichord and organ. Other doubling instruments, like oboes, bassoons and flutes, were described only in later performances. The modern score that I used was created by J. Wagner in MuseScore format. The pronunciation is adjusted to resemble early 18th Century London English.

Illustrations:

1. Early manuscript copy (not in Handel's hand) from around 1743
2. The study room of the Handel House Museum in London; Handel composed Messiah in this apartment room which he occupied from 1723 until his death in 1759.
3. Fishamble Street Music Hall (aka Neale's Theatre), Dublin, Ireland, the location of Handel's premiere of Messiah in 1742
4. The interior of the Fishamble Music Hall in Dublin
5. View of London and St. Paul's Cathedral around the time of Handel's composing the Messiah Oratorio, Antonio Joli, c1744
6. Foundling Hospital exterior. This was the site of Handel's first fundraising campaign for the orphans of London that continued until his death in 1759.
7. Foundling Hospital Chapel. Handel directed countless performances of the Messiah in the yet to be completed main hall.
8. The Prophet Isaiah, Antonio Balestra, c1725
9. King James Bible from 1762, the source similar to what Charles Jennens used to create the lyrics for Messiah
10-27. Pages from "Comfort ye" and "Ev'ry valley," autographed copy by Handel, 1741
28. Prophet Isaiah, Benedetto Gennari, c1690

[donnaj]

The electronic orchestra has a shimmering translucent quality that really suits the Sinfony! Soloist that I am, I keep waiting to hear the vocalist breathe...Thank you for all of your hard work and have a wonderful 2025!