Few classical, or more appropriately Baroque, musical pieces receive as much attention year in and year out as Handel's monumental Messiah(HMV 56). A perennial holiday favorite worldwide, Messiah was originally composed for performance during Lent, between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Noted English librettist Charles Jennens originally conceived the oratorio in 1739, following several librettos he successfully produced with Handel (Saul, 1738 and L'Allegro, il Peneroso ed il moderato, 1740). He drew his libretto from the King James Version of the Old and New Testaments as well as the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. Handel composed Messiah between August 22 and September 14, 1741, in a 24-day burst of inspiration. Composing at an impressive clip, even for Handel.

In keeping with the compositional standards of the late Baroque period, Messiah, as well as Handel's other oratorios, was comprised of three sections or acts, a convention adopted from Baroque Italian Opera, a style already well practiced by Handel. Handel was an efficient and facile composer. As the religious oratorio rose in popularity and the popularity of Italian opera was waning in England, Handel adapted to the trend both musically and financially. The Bel Canto nature of his Italian Operas made easy Handel's transition to the oratorio.

Regarding the subject matter for Messiah, Jennens and Handel conceived the breakdown as follows:

• Part I- Prophecy of Salvation,
• Part II- Crucifixion and Death, and
• Part III- Resurrection.

A unique characteristic of Messiah as an oratorio is the absence of character parts. Most oratorios have distinct characters, including a protagonist or hero. In the case of Messiah, the protagonist ostensibly would be Jesus. It is thought that Handel and Jennens had decided to have scripture sung by unidentified entities in anticipation of accusations of blasphemy for having singers depict Jesus and the other major characters in Scripture. As it turns out, this was wise considering the poor reception the oratorio had when finally presented in London.

The first performance of Messiah was presented on April 13, 1742 at the New Music Hall in Fishamble Street in Dublin, Ireland as a charity fundraiser, where it was well-received. Handel had been reluctant to present a sacred oratorio to London theaters for fear of repeating angering the Bishop of London as he had 10 years previously when he employed Cathedral choristers in a performance of Esther. The first London performance was made to a mostly under-whelmed crown during Lent on March 23, 1743. The major criticism was whether the Theater was the appropriate place for a sacred oratorio.

Over the next several years, Handel attempted several failed comebacks for Messiah. Finally in 1750, Handel directed the oratorio on the 1st and 15th of May in support of the Foundling Hospital of London, established by Captain Thomas Coram in 1740. At his death, Handel left the score and all vocal parts to the Foundling Hospital, now the Thomas Coram Foundation, which continues today to benefit from performances of the sacred oratorio. This firmly established Handel as philanthropist and Messiah as a (or perhaps "the") canonical composition in the Western Musical Tradition.

There is no definitive musical text for Messiah. Handel, who personally conducted the oratorio some 36 times, retooled the oratorio throughout the later part of his life, tailoring the piece to the season of its performance and for the singers performing at a given recital. While he typically employed an orchestra of about 40 and a chorus of about 16, Handel did make enough vocal changes to constitute different versions of the work. For simplicity, three main versions from Handel's lifetime can be said to exist (but, understand, there were as many versions as performances directed by Handel):

• The Original 1742 Dublin Version- Handel originally scored Messiah for 2 oboes, 2 bassoons (which were not used), 2 trumpets, tympani, string orchestra, basso continuo, soloist: S(oprano)A(lto)T(enor)B(ass). This score exists in an approximate reconstruction.
• The 1752 Version- This version is the only authentic conventional SATB version.
• The 1754 Version—This is commonly termed as "The Foundling Hospital Version." It was one of the last versions directed by Handel. It contained many later versions of arias, tailored to certain singers, for example pieces changed or newly composed as a virtuoso setting for the Italian alto castrato Gaetano Guadagni, but later recast for a second soprano. Five soloists (SSATB) sing the arias.

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