The Messiah

[Taliesin]

Aha! Got you! It's not a religion thread at all!
Anyway, I've just finished listening to Handel's Messiah and, besides being awe-struck, am also wondering if people here listen to it, especially as a Christmas tradition.

 

[North King]

I have heard it (as a matter of fact I was humming some of it). It's OK taken in sections, but as a whole it just get's repetitve and boring.

 

[Stapel]

I think the "Weihnachtsoratorium" is better .

But that's only because I once participated in it, I guess.

 

[The Last Conformist]

I probably have heard it, but wouldn't recognize it, at least not by name.

 

[Yoda Power]

I think it's boring.

 

[andvruss]

If you find this repetitive and boring, then most the rock and punk music of today must be the kill-me-so-repetitive-and-unoriginal type.

 

[Cuivienen]

I had never even heard of it until we studied Handel in my Music and Society elective this year. I still haven't heard anything of it but a tiny excerpt from that class.

 

[toh6wy]

I can't remember what it sounds like off-hand, although I'm sure I'd recognize it if I heard it, because I played in my orchestra once. I remember liking it then, and I'd probably still like it now.

 

[Reno]

Never heard of it.

 

[Fifty]

I went and saw the Seattle Symphony perform it last year, and I liked it.

I'm not an expert on classical music by any means, however. I like almost any classical that does not prominently feature the harpsichord.

 

[Yoda Power]

If you find this repetitive and boring, then most the rock and punk music of today must be the kill-me-so-repetitive-and-unoriginal type.

I didn't say repetitive. I find most classical music boring, except for some Wagner stuff.

 

[Plotinus]

[Reno] Never heard of it??? Does the "Hallelujah Chorus" not mean *anything* to you? It's one of the most famous bits of music in existence!

 

[stormbind]

Afaik, I am not familiar with it.

 

[Siegmund]

I've had to play it, beginning to end, a few times with my local symphony. There are a whole bunch of individual numbers in it I like. And I wouldn't mind listening to the complete thing on rare occasion. But... really... it IS horrendously overlong. Much longer than any other symphony concert I've ever played, and longer than most non-Wagner operas. To paraphrase the second theme of the Hallelujah Chorus: "And It goes On for Ever and E-e-ever."

An unfortunate side effect of its length and the fact it is in 3 parts - and that the Hallelujah Chorus ends the 2nd part - is that about 1/3 of the audience LEAVES after the Hallelujah Chorus and does not stay for Part III.

 

[Elrohir]

I heard it for the first time earliler this year, and I liked it. Very powerful.

 

[Stapel]

[Reno] Never heard of it??? Does the "Hallelujah Chorus" not mean *anything* to you? It's one of the most famous bits of music in existence!

Like 95% of the famous classical pieces of music, only the tunes are famous, not their names.

 

[wilbill]

As long as I only have to hear it (preferably exerpts) once a year, it's fine.

 

[Cuivienen]

[Reno] Never heard of it??? Does the "Hallelujah Chorus" not mean *anything* to you? It's one of the most famous bits of music in existence!

I have never heard the Alleluia chorus.

 

[LLXerxes]

my parents play it on long car rides near christmas

 

[Plotinus]

Like 95% of the famous classical pieces of music, only the tunes are famous, not their names.

Although since the Hallelujah Chorus consists of a huge chorus belting out the word "Hallelujah" over and over again, you'd think the name might stick.

It's a cliche in films and TV for divine manifestations and suchlike - to such an extent that when it's played in such circumstances now it's usually a joke. Thus, it is the piece of music that is played before the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch explodes...