Handel: Messiah Irish Baroque Orchestra and Choir & Peter Whelan

• George Frideric Handel ((1685 - 1759): Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1:
• 1 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 1, Sinfonia 02:39
• 2 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 2, Comfort Ye My People 02:42
• 3 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 3, Every Valley Shall Be Exalted 03:00
• 4 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 4, And the Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed 02:26
• 5 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 5, Thus Saith the Lord of Hosts 01:20
• 6 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 6, But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming? 03:59
• 7 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 7, And He Shall Purify 02:25
• 8 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 8, Behold, a Virgin Shall Conceive 00:25
• 9 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 9, O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion 04:50
• 10 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 10, For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover the Earth 01:55
• 11 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 11, The People That Walked in Darkness 03:39
• 12 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 12, For unto Us a Child Is Born 03:44
• 13 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 13, Pifa "Pastoral Symphony" 01:32
• 14 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 14, There Were Shepherds Abiding in the Field 00:12
• 15 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 15, And Lo, the Angel of the Lord 00:15
• 16 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 16, And the Angel Said unto Them 00:30
• 17 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 17, And Suddenly There Was with the Angel 00:16
• 18 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 18, Glory to God in the Highest 01:42
• 19 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 19, Rejoice Greatly 04:09
• 20 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 20, Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind 00:23
• 21 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 21, He Shall Feed His Flock like a Shepherd 04:54
• 22 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: No. 22, His Yoke Is Easy, His Burthen Is Light 02:09
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2:
• 23 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 1, Behold the Lamb of God 02:48
• 24 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 2. He Was Despised 10:11
• 25 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 3, Surely he Hath Borne Our Griefs 01:38
• 26 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 4, And With His Stripes 01:41
• 27 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 5, All We Like Sheep 03:23
• 28 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 6, All They That See Him 00:35
• 29 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 7, He Trusted in God 02:01
• 30 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 8, Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart 01:44
• 31 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 9, Behold and See 01:12
• 32 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 10, He Was Cut Off 00:12
• 33 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 11, But Thou Didst Not Leave 02:04
• 34 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 12, Lift Up Your Heads 02:48
• 35 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 13, Unto Which of the Angels 00:14
• 36 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 14, Let All the Angels of God 01:22
• 37 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 15, Thou Art Gone Up on High 03:07
• 38 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 16, The Lord Gave the Word 01:03
• 39 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 17, How Beautiful Are the Feet 03:08
• 40 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 18, Why Do the Nations 01:13
• 41 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 19, Let Us Break Their Bonds 01:40
• 42 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 20, He That Dwelleth in Heaven 00:10
• 43 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 21, Thou Shalt Break Them 01:49
• 44 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: No. 22, Hallelujah 03:51
• Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3:
• 45 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3: No. 1, I Know That My Redeemer 05:19
• 46 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3: No. 2, Since by Man Came Death 01:28
• 47 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3: No. 3, Behold, I Tell You a Mystery 00:35
• 48 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3: No. 4, The Trumpet Shall Sound 08:20
• 49 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3: No. 5, Then Shall Be Brought 00:12
• 50 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3: No. 6, O Death 00:58
• 51 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3: No. 7, But Thanks Be to God 01:58
• 52 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3: No. 8, If God Be for Us 04:57
• 53 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3: No. 9, Worthy Is the Lamb 03:00
• 54 Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3: No, 10. Amen 04:10
• Total Runtime 02:07:57

Info for Handel: Messiah

For the first time, the Irish Baroque Orchestra and its Artistic Director Peter Whelan have recorded what can be considered the ensemble’s signature work, Handel’s Messiah, an annual touring highlight in the IBO calendar. Surprisingly this is the first recording on historical instruments by an Irish ensemble – given the work, a staple of oratorio music, was premiered in Dublin in 1742. That year, a struggling Handel came to the second biggest city in the British Isles to rekindle his fortune. After the premiere (700-strong attendance, the ladies were asked to come without hoop-framed skirts and the gentlemen without their swords), Handel left Dublin a much richer man. The Irish Baroque Choir and an array of first-class singers (Hilary Cronin, Helen Charlston, Alexander Chance, Nathan Mercieca, Guy Cutting, Frederick Long and Edward Grint) join the IBO to try and capture something of the atmosphere of that extraordinary moment, in a recording which traces back the origins of this enduring masterpiece.

“A wonderfully vital and compelling account of Handel’s original version of Messiah where the performers’ sheer sense of joy came over in every note.” (Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill)

Irish Baroque Orchestra and Choir
Peter Whelan, conductor

Peter Whelan
Olivier award-winner Peter Whelan is among the most dynamic and versatile exponents of historical performance of his generation, with a remarkable career as a conductor and director. He is Artistic Director of the Irish Baroque Orchestra as well as Curator for Early Music of Norwegian Wind Ensemble. Peter is an acclaimed solo artist with an extensive and award-winning discography as a solo bassoonist. ​

As conductor, Peter has a particular passion for exploring and championing neglected music from the Baroque and Classical eras. Recent engagements have included appearances with English Concert, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Beethoven Orchester Bonn, Netherlands Chamber Orchestre, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Oulu Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre de Chambre du Luxembourg. ​

The beginning of 22-23 season saw Peter conducting Vivaldi’s seldom performed ‘Bajazet’ with Irish National Opera. This production was met with outstanding reviews and the production won an Olivier Award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Opera’. In November/December he made his debut at San Francisco Opera, conducting Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. Other recent opera productions have included Marriage of Figaro, Magic Flute and Acis and Galatea with Irish National Opera and Handel’s Radamisto with English Touring Opera.

Orchestral highlights of the 23-24 season include Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Dunedin Consort, la festa musicale, Meininger Hofkapelle and Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra. Peter returns to Irish National Opera to conduct a production of Vivaldi’s rarely performed ‘l’Olimpiade’ in May 2024. ​

As founding Artistic Director of Ensemble Marsyas, Peter has performed at Edinburgh International, Lammermuir, Göttingen Handel, Kilkenny Arts, Tetbury, Bath and Great Music in Irish Houses festivals. During their 2020 Wigmore Hall residency, The Telegraph described Ensemble Marsyas as “very possibly this country’s finest period group – led by Peter, they perform with wonderful élan, transmitting their total enjoyment”. Ensemble Marsyas has an impressive and award- winning discography with its disc of Barsanti being named Editor’s Choice in Gramophone Magazine in 2017 and “Recording of the Year” in MusicWeb International 2017, as well as reaching second place in the Official UK Specialist Classical Chart. ​

Peter’s artistic direction in live performance and the recording studio has been widely praised for its “rich insight, style and charisma” (Guardian), its “stylish verve” (BBC Music Magazine) and “phenomenally energetic direction” (Artsdesk). As a champion of early music, Peter represents “the very best of contemporary trends in bringing this music to life: flex and zest with tempi, lithe and vigorous ... an incredible alertness to colors and moods summoned by the cut-and-thrust harmonic footwork of this music” (Operawire). ​

Booklet for Handel: Messiah