In the summer of 1741, George Frideric Handel was presented with a libretto composed by Charles Jennens. The libretto was arranged entirely from portions of scripture, in particular the Old Testament, and became the lyrics for Handel’s famous oratorio, The Messiah.

Many stories have been told about the composition of this famous piece. It is true that he composed the entire work in the space of about three weeks, and many have taken this as a sign that Handel was divinely inspired. Though composing a work of the complexity and majesty of The Messiah in so short a time is amazing, it is not in itself proof of inspiration, as Handel—and many other composers, Mozart, for instance—was known to compose his works quickly. Such was his genius that such speed would have been expected.

As the story goes, however, his servant at the time was accustomed to taking him meals while he was working, returning to retrieve the dishes later only to find them mostly untouched. He had entered Handel’s room soon after the composer had completed the Hallelujah Chorus to find his master weeping. When asked what was wrong, Handel uttered the famous words: “I did think I saw heaven open, and saw the very face of God.”

Whether you believe this is a literal account, whether you believe Handel’s words were more metaphorical in the moment of completing awesome piece of music, or simply think he experienced a hallucination brought on by fatigue and overwork, the beauty and awesome genius of Handel’s work cannot be denied.

Here are a few facts:

• The Messiah was composed in 1741 over the space of about 3 weeks.
• It was first performed in Dublin in April of 1742.
• The Messiah has been Handel’s most enduring work, his most performed work in western music.
• Charles Jennings, a famous librettist, provided the libretto.
• The full Messiah is divided into three parts: part one deals with prophecies of Christ’s birth, the second with his life and death, and third with the promise of redemption through his sacrifice.

Here is a videos of the full work. Enjoy!