Handel's Messiah - the advent calendar

'Amen': When Susannah Cibber had sung her aria “He was despised” at the premiere of Messiah, Dr. Patrick Delany was so deeply moved that he spontaneously exclaimed: "Woman, for this, be all thy sins forgiven." On 13 August 1742 Faulkner’s Dublin Journal could inform its readers that ‘the celebrated Mr Handel, so famous for his excellent compositions and fine performance, with which he has entertained this city in the most pleasant way, has now travelled back to England’.

For a long time Handel was planning to return to the city that had restored his faith in his own excellence as a composer AND had improved his financial situation quite substantially. However, he did never return.
Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

'The finest Composition of Music that was ever heard': Following the reactions of the only full rehearsal of Messiah on the 9th of April, the expectations were soaring. The date of the premiere had to be changed to the 13th of April. There was no doubt, Dublin high society didn’t want to miss such an important event. Faulkner’s Dublin Journal even had to print this request: “Many Ladies and Gentlemen who are well-wishers to this Noble and Grand Charity, for which this Oratorio was composed, request it as a Favour, that the Ladies who honour this performance with their Presence, would be pleased to come without Hoops, as it will greatly increase the Charity, by making Room for more company.”
Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

Grand Messiah: Many people will think that the very first Messiah doesn't sound "right" as the oratorio has since come to be associated with gigantic performances. In the British Victorian era in particular Messiah could not get too big. In June 1859 nearly 82,000 people would have listened to 2,765 choir singers and 460 musicians performing Messiah. But as George Bernard Shaw wrote in 1891, As he wrote: ''IF I were a member of the House of Commons,'' George Bernard Shaw wrote, ''I would propose a law making it a capital offense to perform an oratorio by Handel with more than 80 performers in the chorus and orchestra.''
Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

Little Messiah: Naturally, we do not know how the very first performance of Messiah sounded. Particularly because Handel in his own life-time managed to make numerous changes in connection with later performances, so that there are now at least ten different versions from Handel’s own time. But one thing is for certain. Messiah sounded very different than in the later versions that had hundreds of musicians and hundreds of choir singers.
Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

Mrs. Delaney, the good friend: Another woman who played an important role in Handel’s life was Mary Delaney or Mary Pendarves. The reason for calling attention to her in this advent calendar is that she had been trying to convince Handel for a long time that if he would only go to Dublin, everything was going to be alright. And she spoke from experience. For both Handel, Cibber and Mary Pendarves Dublin became the city of fresh starts.
Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

Recipe for ragout with poor Irish children: The mighty dean and writer, Jonathan Swift was close to putting a stop to the premiere of Messiah. Under no circumstances would he let his choir singers perform in a ‘fiddle players’ club in Fishamble Street’. One would have thought that Jonathan Swift in particular would appreciate a concert that was to raise money for the release of imprisoned debtors who were starving. Because Jonathan Swift himself had previously highlighted the shocking poverty in which the majority of Catholics in the country were living with his pamflet, ‘A Modest Proposal For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or the Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public.´
Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

Troubles ahead for mr Handel! It seemed that Handel was holding back on announcing his plans to present his big, new oratorio Messiah while in Dublin. This is no doubt because he wanted to make sure that he had the right musicians and singers for the premiere. He could now be sure of the musicians. Matthew Dubourg had gathered the best musicians in the city for Handel. Handel also had the soloists under control. But the choir singers? This turned out to be far more complicated than Handel had probably imagined. And it had nothing to do with the fact that the choir singers, as we have heard in previous episodes, would often get into drunken fights. Enter the great Mr Jonathan Swift.
Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

Susannah Cibber arrives in Dublin, and her performance is a big disaster - but then the viceroy asserts himself! When exactly Handel and Cibber first meet in Dublin, and at what point Handel decides to let her sing one of the most important parts of Messiah is unknown. Susannah Cibber had had singing parts since the beginning of her career, but she became famous for her acting. Her voice was described as ‘sweet’ and ‘exceptionally expressive’. However, it was untrained. And what was worse was that she could not read music. Even though Handel was known for not accepting any singers who were not able to sight-read, he made an exception for Susannah Cibber. Hour by hour, day by day he would go through the oratorio with Susannah Cibber until, finally, she knew her part by heart.

Today’s episode of the advent calendar is not for those faint of heart as it contains both love-making scenes, a kidnapping and hostage-taking. On 5 December 1738 Theophilus Cibber sued William Sloper for having ‘molested, robbed and had sexual intercourse with the plaintiff’s wife’. Theophilus wanted 5,000 pounds in compensation. Because the case involved such a famous actor, the judge ruled that no minutes would be taken during the trial. However, one clerk thought that the case contained so many juicy and sensational details that it would be a pity if the rest of London missed out on them. So he took his own notes. The judge, however, could not really picture Theophilus Cibber as an innocent, deceived husband, so to begin with William Sloper only had to pay Theophilus Cibber 10 pounds for having run off with his wife.
Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

She was the star of the first performance of Messiah in Dublin. In the years leading up to this Susannah Cibber had had a tough time.
It was nothing short of a sensation when the 17-year-old craftsman’s daughter, Susannah Cibber, quickly became one of the most fêted actresses and singers in London. She married actor and dramatist Theophilus Cibber, who soon turned out to be both malicious, violent, mendacious and manipulative. He frivolously spent his wife’s money. In return he gave her sexually transmitted diseases. When she tried to hide money from him, he knocked the door down to her dressing room at the theatre and stole all of her jewellery and dresses, which he then proceeded to sell. In 1738 things really spiralled out of control. Because if Theophilus could not have his wife’s money – then he could at least damage her good reputation with a sex scandal. So that’s what he did. And we will hear a lot more about that tomorrow!
Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’