SITE RATING: 8/10
SITE
REVIEW: Although
Calvin R. Stapert's Handel's Messiah: Comfort for God's
People might sound like another book
aimed at a primarily Christian audience, (and
it is in fact published at part of the Calvin
Institute of Christian Worship liturgical
series), the contents are far more universal
in scope and interest than the title
implies. Part history, part biography,
part musicological study, and a large part
given over to textual analysis, the author
deftly bridges the gap between secular and
spiritual appreciation for Handel's Messiah;
a bridge that has contributed to its
popularity for over two centuries. In
his introduction to the book, the author
acknowledges these disparate elements, and
notes the many theories (some of them truly
bizarre), which others have posited in an
attempt to explain Messiah's huge popularity
and unflagging mass appeal. The book
then gets to it's main purpose, which is to
clearly and simply lay out Messiah's
genesis, from the rise of the oratorio in
England (and elsewhere); then, a couple of
brief essays on the Purpose of Messiah,
followed quickly by the meat of the book, an
in-depth, movement-by-movement study of the
text - it's origins, how Handel's musical
settings enhance the meaning of the libretto,
and the mood(s) which Handel's music
creates. The author's prose is very
clean and easy to read - he strives to reach
the layman audience, although his analysis is
never trite, or "dumbed down" for his
readers. For those who are just
beginning to appreciate Messiah,
and wish to delve more deeply into the meaning
and purpose and, ultimately, the power of
Handel's work, this book is a welcome,
thoughtful examination.
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