Beethoven's Great Appreciation for Handel's Messiah

[Harvey]

Written in Beethoven's hand:

He "copied every word and note of the Messiah, so much did he desire to absorb every detail and nuance. It is my desire that you have the matchless experience of reading the Holy Scriptures of the libretto, aloud to yourself, and then to someone else. You will enter into an intimate fellowship with Handel and Beethoven. And then, hearing, or participating in, the great performances of this saga of redemption will bring new thrills for your spirit."

Ludwig Van Beethoven
(1770 -1827) was reputed to have picked up Handel's Messiah with these words, "Here is a different fellow" and proceeded to play the most interesting looking passages. On another occasion he is said to have remarked, "Handel is the greatest composer that ever lived", and spoke of the oratorio as having "sublimity of language". The music of Messiah so permeated Beethoven's being that on his deathbed he is reputed to have quoted from The Messiah stating that if there were a physician that could help him "His name shall be called Wonderful".

[Rocco]

Nice articles! I would have to say that Handel's Messiah will always be my absolute favorite work - It is the word of God put to wonderful music, what more would you ask for?

I especially found this interesting from your second link:

Handel was quite tall with large features, both physically and spiritually. He endured much opposition from church and peers, but his generous, forgiving heart just grew in its expansive love. He was buried in Westminster Abbey (1759) . His tomb reads:

"I Know That My Redeemer Liveth."

[Peter]

Yes and when we also consider the astonishing fact that this great work was written in just 3 weeks - now that's inspiration! Also incredible is the lack of appreciation it received for many years. I think I'm right in saying that the old practice of standing for the Hallelujah chorus was not as is commonly believed the result of George II standing when he first heard it.

[Michael]

I imagine the fact that Handel wrote the "Messiah" in three weeks must have impressed Beethoven. It took him four years to write the "Missa Solemnis"!

[AeolianHarp]

How nice to see Beethoven's manuscript! I liked the BBC programme about Handel's work on the Messiah and the concert of it given in the Foundling hospital that was on a couple of weeks ago.

Handel was a charitable man and very hard working! Imagine writing such a work in only 3 weeks, all by hand and by candelight!

[AeolianHarp]

I imagine the fact that Handel wrote the "Messiah" in three weeks must have impressed Beethoven. It took him four years to write the "Missa Solemnis"!

Well isn't Missa Solemnis a longer and more complicated work? And Beethoven was always writing more than one work at a time!

[Peter]

Well isn't Missa Solemnis a longer and more complicated work? And Beethoven was always writing more than one work at a time!

Not at all - The Missa lasts about 80-85 mins and the Messiah around 150 mins. As to more complicated, possibly for performers but not for composing!

[Harvey]

Not at all - The Missa lasts about 80-85 mins and the Messiah around 150 mins. As to more complicated, possibly for performers but not for composing!

I thought that I just read somewhere that Beethoven put the Missa Solemnis aside a couple times to work on other music. But definitely Handel seems to have been totally engrossed and driven in writing the music to Messiah.

Regardless of how the standing up for the Hallelujah Chorus began, I like it. But what I did not like was in the performance I attended last December, the audience sang along with the Hallelujah Chorus. It was horrible, mainly because a guy just behind me who could hardly sing, sang it very loudly.

Now don't forget another beautiful Chorus, the Amen Chorus at the end and that should be taken with the previous part: "Worthy is the Lamb."

[Peter]

I thought that I just read somewhere that Beethoven put the Missa Solemnis aside a couple times to work on other music. But definitely Handel seems to have been totally engrossed and driven in writing the music to Messiah.

Yes Beethoven was in the habit of doing this, but generally speaking he was not a fast worker as the sketchbooks demonstrate. I think for some composers the music simply flowed, Schubert, Bach, Handel and Mozart are examples of this.

[Harvey]

Yes Beethoven was in the habit of doing this, but generally speaking he was not a fast worker as the sketchbooks demonstrate. I think for some composers the music simply flowed, Schubert, Bach, Handel and Mozart are examples of this.

Good point about Beethoven's many revisions. I had read about that. It may also be that he was very much a perfectionist and that drove him to revise and revise over and over.

Although Handel did continually tweak his Messiah throughout his life, which is different from the revisions Beethoven would do in his sketchbooks.

Probably the Beethoven work with the choppiest revision history was Leonora/Fidelio, but I do like the final outcome.

[AeolianHarp]

Good point about Beethoven's many revisions. I had read about that. It may also be that he was very much a perfectionist and that drove him to revise and revise over and over.

Yes Beethoven was in the habit of doing this, but generally speaking he was not a fast worker as the sketchbooks demonstrate. I think for some composers the music simply flowed, Schubert, Bach, Handel and Mozart are examples of this.

Yes he was a perfectionist. Which you can hear when listening to his music- every note is perfection!

And also his ill health might have also had an effect on his speed of working- it must be hard to concentrate when having agonising stomach pains, like he had.

[AeolianHarp]

Not at all - The Missa lasts about 80-85 mins and the Messiah around 150 mins. As to more complicated, possibly for performers but not for composing!

Well Missa Solemnis is certainly very challenging for the singers.

[gprengel]

I love the Messiah even more listening to it in the arrangement from Mozart with added woodwinds and french horns:

Listen to this at 1:14 ff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpT6...368F373FABC9C5

powerful !!

and:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAv2...368F373FABC9C5

[Harvey]

I love the Messiah even more listening to it in the arrangement from Mozart with added woodwinds and french horns:

Listen to this at 1:14 ff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpT6...368F373FABC9C5

powerful !!

and:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAv2...368F373FABC9C5

I had been avoiding the Mozart version (reorchestration?) but I must admit that the performance you have posted is remarkable and beautiful. The vocals are splendid, and one thing interesting in Mozarts version is no alto, but two sopranos. That takes care of the suprise countertenor problem (my problem, some like countertenors). And is that Rilling I see conducting? His performances always seem to be excellent!

I do also love hearing Messiah sung in German.
I have a German version of the Messiah that is not Mozarts version.

Question: Did Beecham take inspiration for his reorchestration of Messiah from Mozart's? Both seem very lively and powerful.

[Chris]

I quite like Mozart's version of the Messiah. It's fascinating to hear how people from his era thought about the music from Handel's.