Ulm Philharmonic (Philharmoniker Ulm) Choir of the Theater Ulm Conductor: James Allen Gähres Georg Friedrich Händel (George Frideric Handel) Messiah, HWV 56 Part II, Scene 7, No. 44 (Novello edition, 1959) / No. 39 (Bärenreiter edition, 1965) 'Hallelujah!' - Chorus, Allegro, D major Concert live recording / Live recorded during open public concert. Ulm, Germany G.F. Handel - Messiah HWV 56, No.13 'Pifa' (Pastoral Symphony) - James Allen Gähres, cond., Ulm Philharmonic (live): https://youtu.be/bc0yd7VkYmg G.F. Handel - Messiah HWV 56, No.12 'For unto us a child is born' - James Allen Gähres, cond., Ulm Philharmonic (live): https://youtu.be/Cm9DDlkcfpw Lyrics: Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The Kingdom of this world; Is become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; And he shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah! Lyrics in German: Halleluja, denn Gott der Herr regiert allmächtig. Das Königreich der Welt ist fortan das Königreich des Herrn und seines Christ, und er regiert auf immer und ewig, Herr der Herrn, der Welten Gott. Halleluja! Messiah (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the version of the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music. Handel's reputation in England, where he had lived since 1712, had been established through his compositions of Italian opera. He turned to English oratorio in the 1730s in response to changes in public taste; Messiah was his sixth work in this genre. Although its structure resembles that of opera, it is not in dramatic form; there are no impersonations of characters and no direct speech. Instead, Jennens's text is an extended reflection on Jesus as the Messiah called Christ. The text begins in Part I with prophecies by Isaiah and others, and moves to the annunciation to the shepherds, the only 'scene' taken from the Gospels. In Part II, Handel concentrates on the Passion and ends with the 'Hallelujah' chorus. In Part III he covers the resurrection of the dead and Christ's glorification in heaven. Handel wrote Messiah for modest vocal and instrumental forces, with optional settings for many of the individual numbers. In the years after his death, the work was adapted for performance on a much larger scale, with giant orchestras and choirs. In other efforts to update it, its orchestration was revised and amplified by (among others) Mozart. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the trend has been towards reproducing a greater fidelity to Handel's original intentions. George Frideric born Georg Friedrich Händel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German, later British, baroque composer who spent the bulk of his career in London, becoming well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos. Handel received important training in Halle and worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712; he became a naturalised British subject in 1727. He was strongly influenced both by the great composers of the Italian Baroque and by the middle-German polyphonic choral tradition. Within fifteen years, Handel had started three commercial opera companies to supply the English nobility with Italian opera. As Alexander's Feast (1736) was well received, Handel made a transition to English choral works. After his success with Messiah (1742) he never composed an Italian opera again. Almost blind, and having lived in England for nearly fifty years, he died in 1759, a respected and rich man. His funeral was given full state honours, and he was buried in Westminster Abbey in London. Born the same year as Johann Sebastian Bach and Domenico Scarlatti, Handel is regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Baroque era, with works such as Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks and Messiah remaining steadfastly popular. One of his four Coronation Anthems, Zadok the Priest (1727), composed for the coronation of George II, has been performed at every subsequent British coronation. Handel composed more than forty operas in over thirty years.