656. How Handel Got His Mojo Back

Key Takeaways

Handel premiered "Messiah" in Dublin as a charity event, marking his entrepreneurial comeback.
Handel's musical style evolved from German, Italian, and London influences, incorporating recycled melodies.
Despite royal stipends, Handel faced significant financial struggles managing expensive opera companies.
"Messiah" was composed rapidly in three weeks and debuted to immense public demand in Dublin.
The work gained London popularity through charity performances at the Foundling Hospital.

Handel's November 1741 journey to Dublin was delayed in Chester due to rough seas.
He reportedly rehearsed parts of "Messiah" in a room on Abbey Street in Chester.
The rehearsal may have been to test a choir member's sight-singing ability.

Handel gained a significant reputation in Italy for his keyboard skills before moving to London at age 25.
In 1720, he launched his Royal Academy, an opera company subsidized by King George I, acting as an entrepreneur.
His career involved continuous travel and risk-taking, influenced by his status as an outsider.

Musicologist Ellen Harris researched Handel's finances at the Bank of England to understand his life as an entrepreneur, performer, and investor.
She accessed large 18th-century ledgers and found Handel's signature on transaction records.

Handel was a devout Lutheran, attending church weekly and refusing to convert to Catholicism in Italy.
A royal stipend, starting in 1712 and increasing to £600 by 1723 for work with the Chapel Royal and teaching, provided stable income.
This pension gave him artistic freedom, allowing him to decline projects and experiment with financial security for his art.

Handel faced challenges managing opera companies, including competition and expensive Italian singers.
His Royal Academy of Music salary, equivalent to $165,000 annually, ceased in 1732.
Handel's personal accounts dwindled from £2,000 to £50 by 1738, reaching zero by 1743.
After health issues in 1737, he left London in 1741 for Dublin, composing "Messiah" as a "greatest hits tour" without initial expectations of success.

Chris Scoby of the British Library discussed Handel's fragile "Messiah" composing manuscript, preserved in a controlled environment.
The original score, bound in red leather in the 1950s, contains text in English, Italian, German, and Latin, with corrections.
Rapid notation, ink smudges, and notes tipping over on pages like 'He Shall Purify' evidence Handel's dynamic and speedy composition process.

Handel composed "Messiah" in approximately three weeks, likely improvising on a small harpsichord.
He dated scores twice: for the initial draft and again after adding all instrumental and vocal parts.
Singer Susanna Sibber, recruited in Dublin, performed pieces like 'He Was Despised,' which suited her expressive vocal style.

The Dublin trip revitalized Handel, restoring his energy and financial stability; he returned to London with £1,600.
From 1745, Handel shifted to English-language biblical works performed during Lent, reducing staging costs and using less expensive English singers, increasing profitability.
Handel relied solely on box office sales after 1745, abandoning subscribers and allowing his investments to grow.
"Messiah's" initial London reception was lukewarm, gaining popularity only after charity performances at the Foundling Hospital.

The Foundling Hospital, established by Thomas Coram for abandoned children, secured a royal charter and prominent support by the 1750s.
Handel conducted annual fundraising concerts for the hospital, often from the organ, showcasing the children to wealthy attendees.
"Messiah" unexpectedly revitalized Handel's career in his later years and became central to his enduring legacy despite being composed in 24 days.