Messiah: The Gospel according to Handel's Oratorio

by Roger A. Bullard

Bullard provides an informed, readable commentary specifically on the libretto, or text, of Handel's Messiah, explaining each part in terms of: how the language differs from the King James Version of the Bible; what the passage of Scripture meant in its original context; and how the citation fits in the artistic and religious structure of the oratorio as a whole.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Theology

148 pages, Paperback

First published September 19, 1993

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoyed this book during the Christmas season on my favorite piece of music. Theological background is a bit different from my own, but overall it was both interesting and devotional.

[DROPPING OUT · Rating 4 out of 5]

In all fairness, I think the book should have been entitled Messiah: The Gospel According to Jessens. Charles Jessens (1720-1773), a patron of the arts and friend of Handel, also created libretti for several of Handel's choral works, including Messiah. (But that would never fly because people generally know the work by Handel's name.)

Jessens was a man of particular theological views (within the Church of England of the 18th century), and Bullard demonstrates how Jessens adapted the texts of the King James Bible and Book of Common Prayer to create a new "Gospel" (as it were).

Bullard, a professor of religion, strays off-course, perhaps, when he attempts to show how the texts might have been understood in their pre-Christian setting. As interesting as it is, it hardly contributes to an understanding of what Jessens and Handel were trying to accomplish, and if anything, such speculations tend to desacralize the work.

This reservation notwithstanding, I found this to be a wonderful addition to my permanent home library.