Messiah Returns
dal 25/3/2002 al 14/4/2002
Segnalato da
25/3/2002
Messiah Returns
Handel House Museum, London
The autograph score of Handel's most famous work, Messiah, is coming to the Handel House Museum, on loan from the British Library, for the 260th anniversary of its first performance. It is the first time that the manuscript has returned to the house since Handel's death in 1759.
The autograph score of Handel's most famous work, Messiah, is coming to the Handel House Museum, on loan from the British Library, for the 260th anniversary of its first performance. It is the first time that the manuscript has returned to the house - where it was composed in 1741 - since Handel's death in 1759.
Handel wrote Messiah in little over three weeks. Since its first performance in Dublin on 13 April 1742, it has been acclaimed as one of the greatest pieces of music in history. Charles Burney, distinguished 18th-century musicologist, was not alone in his enthusiasm when he said: "it has fed the hungry, clothed the naked, fostered the orphans, and enriched succeeding managers of the Oratorios, more than any single production in this or any country."
The Handel House Museum has a series of events linked with Messiah, including Thursday evening lectures at the Museum on 21 March, 28 March and 4 April (see Events & Education brochure). The display ends on the anniversary of Handel's death, Sunday 14 April, which will be commemorated by a day of events at the Museum including special J C Smith tours and a performance of John Osborne's "God rot Tunbridge Wells" by Timothy West and of course Handel's music.
Jacqueline Riding, Director of the Museum, says:
"Messiah must be the greatest piece of music ever written. Now for the first time since Handel's death, the autograph score is coming back to the room in which it was composed. It is a unique opportunity to see this national treasure in its original setting."
The Museum is open throughout the Easter weekend.
Notes:
· The Handel House Museum opened to the public on 8 November 2001.
· Opening Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm (late night opening Thursday, 8pm); Sunday & Bank Holiday Mondays 12pm-6pm. Closed Mondays except Bank Holidays. The Museum is open throughout the Easter weekend (Good Friday 10-6; Easter Monday 12-6).
· Prices: Adults £4.50, Concessions £3.50, Children £2.00.
· The Handel House Museum is located at 25 Brook Street, London W1 (nearest tube: Bond Street or Oxford Circus). Entrance in Lancashire Court.
· Live music is played at intervals during opening hours and on Thursday evenings 6-8pm (except for lecture evenings - see events brochure for details).
· Contact number for public information: 020 7495 1685.
The Handel House Museum
25 Brook Street London W1K 4HB