BOOKS |
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TITLE: |
MESSIAH:
THE
LITTLE-KNOWN STORY OF HANDEL'S
BELOVED ORATORIO |
AUTHOR: |
TIM
SLOVER |
PUBLISHER: |
SILVERLEAF
PRESS |
ISBN
(HARDCOVER): |
9781934393055 |
ISBN (PAPERBACK): |
N/A |
UPC/EAN: |
N/A |
LCCN: |
N/A |
YEAR: |
2007 |
SERIES: |
N/A |
PAGES: |
72
P. |
PUB.
LOCATION: |
SANDY,
UTAH |
DDC: |
N/A |
EXCERPT: |
CLICK HERE
FOR SAMPLE PAGE (.PDF) |
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DESCRIPTION:
This account
presents the remarkable story of the creation
of the world-famous Messiah by George Frideric Handel.
Revealing that the work was composed during a
tumultuous period of Handel’s life and molded
through many unlikely circumstances, this
chronicle tells of how this musical
masterpiece was crafted and how it became a
glorious production that is now performed
around the world every Christmas season.
Images of significant sites and artifacts of
note, including the church where Messiah was first performed, accompany
the text to accurately place this rich tale in
its historical context. A bonus CD featuring
the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s rendition of Messiah is also included. |
SITE RATING: 9/10
SITE
REVIEW: I stumbled
upon Messiah:
The Little-Known Story of Handel's Beloved
Oratorio by Tim Slover in a local
book store which was liquidating its Christmas
stock, and after purchasing it, was pleasantly
surprised by its brief, but attractive layout,
and the informal layman's tone set by the
author. The author is a dramatic
literature professor and playwright, which
surprised me, for while Messiah
isn't solely the domain of musicians, its odd
to find a published work on Messiah
coming from a quarter other than the music
field. Such is Dr. Slover's passion for
Handel's work, however, that his relative
unfamiliarity with musical terms is not
missed. This book doesn't concern itself
much with the music anyway, but rather tells
the story of its creation, reception, and
message; the author relates in clear, bright
prose the well-known facts about Messiah's
creation; he also delves deeply into the
controversy of Messiah; from Handel's casting
of the notorious Susanna Cibber, the scarlet
lady of the theater who had been publicly
shamed during a divorce trial, to Messiah's
controversial use of scripture for its text;
the public outcry which resulted from Handel's
using "actors" to sing sacred material - and
in theaters! Slover happily recounts
each controversy and triumph. The book
itself is very attractive - obviously intended
to be a "gift" item: it's small, filled with
color illustrations on nearly every page, and,
as an additional bonus, it features a
72-minute highlights CD featuring the Mormon Tabernacle
Choir conducted by Sir David Willcocks.
An attractive, accessible, and even
illuminating book which is a personal
favorite.
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