Messiah, The

The, an oratorio by Handel, the German composer. It was produced first in 1742 at Dublin, although it had been composed a year before. The words were arranged from the Scriptures by Charles Jennens. In 1789 Mozart added to the musical composition. It is said that of all musical compositions, no other has aroused such enthusiasm or been so long and so universally a favorite. Alexander Pope wrote a sacred pastoral entitled The Messiah published in The Spectator in 1712. An epic poem by Klopstock bears the title of Messias or "The Messiah." See Klopstock; Pope; Handel