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The Handel Scandal: The Making of The Messiah

The Handel Scandal: The Making of The Messiah

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Summary

Soprano Danielle de Niese presents a documentary exploring the controversial genesis of George Frideric Handel's sacred oratorio The Messiah and its connection to disgraced English performer Susannah Cibber

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Review

David Butcher

When Handel composed his Messiah, he needed a hit. His finances were failing, fashions in taste had changed, and his latest opera Idomeneo had been a flop.

Messiah would become a favourite of audiences, but its premiere in Dublin involved a big casting gamble. Danielle de Niese’s focus here is the singer and actor to whom Handel turned – Susannah Cibber. She had been publicly humiliated in a lawsuit that revealed salacious details of her love life. She was, in any case, more an actress than a classical singer. But Handel believed that both her backstory and her dramatic voice would move the audience. It’s a saga of sexism, redemption, and sublime music.

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Released on

2026-01-01

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Colour

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