-
Handel's Messiah
When Handel was commissioned to write Messiah, his previously popular Italian opera had become rather passe, even parodied. English language oratorii were the new thing, he had had some success with them already, but perhaps he was feeling down on his luck [as suggested in the Alpha presentation I watched on Saturday]. He wrote the…
-
Allegri's Miserere
Sung at the Sistine chapel at the end of Holy week, traditionally after midnight with candles gradually being extinguished. It became forbidden to transcribe it, punishable by excommunication, and there is a great story of Mozart writing it out from memory, then being summoned by the Pope – only to be praised for his amazing…
-
Soundtrack
Stravinsky apparently said he hated listening to music without something to look at – part of the reason he loved writing for the ballet!