Messiah
"When he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt.” - Mozart on Handel
Despite opera being frowned upon during Lent, people still found a way to enjoy theatrical music without breaking the rules: Oratorio. Even though they aren’t staged like an opera, Oratorio are still very dramatic. Handel’s Messiah recounts the story of Jesus’s birth and his Passion, making it popular choice for performances around Christmas and Easter. The Hallelujah Chorus still brings audiences to their feet, a tradition based on the story that King George II supposedly stood in amazement when he first heard it.
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