Handel - Messiah "He was despised" Alfred Deller

Hi-res & stereo:    • Handel - Messiah "He was despised" Alfred ...   George Frideric Handel Messiah, HWV 56 (1741) Oratorio in three acts Aria #23: "He Was Despised" From act 2, aria for Alto solo libretto by Charles Jennens Messiah (HWV 56) is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel based on a libretto by Charles Jennens. Composed in the summer of 1741 and premiered in Dublin on the 13 April 1742, Messiah is Handel's most famous creation and is among the most popular works in the Western choral literature. The very well known chorus, Hallelujah, is part of Handel's Messiah. Handel composed Messiah in just 24 days. Handel conducted Messiah many times and, as was his custom, often altered the music to suit the needs of the singers and orchestra he had available to him for each performance. In consequence, no single version can be regarded as the "authentic" one. Many more variations and rearrangements were added in subsequent centuries—a notable arrangement was one by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, translated into German. Messiah is scored for SATB soloists, SATB chorus, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo. The Mozart arrangement expands the orchestra to 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings, and organ. The libretto was compiled by Charles Jennens and consists of fragments of verses from the King James Bible. For the full article in more detail on Messiah: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah_... Text: He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. (Isaiah 53:3)