Pinchgut Opera’s presentation of Handel’s Messiah peels back the layers of centuries of re-interpretation, returning to its debut in Dublin in 1742, conducted by Handel himself.

Leading from the harpsichord, Artistic Director Erin Helyard, replicates Handel’s Dublin configuration with just 12 hand-picked singers sharing the solos and choruses and the expert 16-strong Orchestra of the Antipodes under Concertmaster Matthew Greco. 

Pinchgut Opera: Messiah. Photo © Anna Kucera

Dublin was then Britain’s second city and a thriving centre for the arts. In 1741, Handel accepted an invitation from William Cavendish, Lord Lieutenant, to create a season of charity concerts in Dublin. In London, Handel faced the failure of two Italian operas, Imeneo and Deidamia. Here was a chance to cultivate a new public in a new city with novel works in English.

Setting the biblically inspired 1739 libretto by Charles Jennens, Handel started writing Messiah on 22 August, 1741 in London. It was ready on 14 September. Surprisingly for the time, it contained little repeated material – a practice of ‘parody’ popular at the time. This, and the state of the autograph score, are a testament to the ferocity of Handel’s creative...