Handel: The Messiah and Anti-Semitism

[ramseytheii]

An interesting article in the Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/arts/music/08mari.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&ref=arts&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

It points out that the "Hallelujah" chorus is raised after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by the Romans, and thus the most celebratory music in the Messiah is that expressing victory over and slaughter of the Jews!

It also has interesting historical information about how the libretto came to be pieced together, since it stitches seemingly disparate scriptural passages together, and the motivations behind the linking of those passages, and even in changing some of the words to be more directly anti-Semitic.  Read for yourself!

Walter Ramsey

[pianistimo]

bach, mendelssohn, handel, brahms - they were not anti-semitic, imo.  especially since mendelssohn was part jewish i believe.  mendelssohn wrote a similar oratorio - 'elijah' didn't he?  just because a composer picks a piece of music that is from the new testament (as handel did) doesn't mean they don't believe that the old is done away.  even Jesus Christ said 'i come to do my Father's will...'  if God was His Father - then He was doing what the old testament said were the 10 commandments.  He even told the pharisees to read moses when it came to their question about divorce.  and, in private, with his own disciples explained that moses permitted it in cases of infidelity - but that when a man/woman divorces and remarries that they are committing adultery.  Jesus took the OT commandments from God to moses literally.  I don't see how Jesus could be any more jewish (excepting that i truly believe He also was the Son of God).  i don't really think that they were attempting to discourage jews from their own beliefs and practices.  handel simply picked a piece of music.  the words are pretty much direct from the bible.  it's the 'end of the story.'  we only see the beginning, middle, and slight leaning towards the end.  in the end - all who call on the name of God will be saved.  that includes jews.  in fact, someplace in the bible it says that the gospel is to the 'jew first.'  that means, they have a special place to keep the word of God holy as an example to the entire world.

a lot of verses of the 'hallelujah chorus' are from revelations.  rev. 11:15 'the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his CHRIST; and He shall reign forever and ever.  if some people do not believe Christ is Lord now - they will be like doubting thomas.  they need to see the ressurrected King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  but that does not mean that they cannot keep the commandments of God.  perhaps in the day of trouble they will be spared for keeping their minds open to at least considering the possiblity. 

rev. 14:12 'here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.  even if we have faith like a mustard seed - it is still believing that God is God and can pretty much do anything He desires.  Jesus came to free us from sin.  He said noone, excepting God was good - and that was after someone called him 'good master.'  if He didn't even consider Himself above his Father, it shows us that we cannot consider ourselves 'good' - but always in need of repentance and continual modification.  an ongoing process.  washing our sins away can be done now with baptism - or at Jesus return - simply asking Him (ok, now i see you and believe) please wash my sins away.  the thief on the cross did this before the ressurrection - but he noticed the peaceful manner of Jesus dying and realized that it was from the Holy Spirit.  many believed afterwards because the temple veil was ripped (by itself) and there was a great earthquake at the time he died and also at the ressurrection.  i would like to see earthquake records - because i feel that they could prove what happened in Jesus day affected the entire world.

[m]

bach, mendelssohn, handel, brahms - they were not anti-semitic, imo.  especially since mendelssohn was part jewish i believe.  mendelssohn wrote a similar oratorio - 'elijah' didn't he?  just because a composer picks a piece of music that is from the new testament (as handel did) doesn't mean they don't believe that the old is done away.  even Jesus Christ said 'i come to do my Father's will...'  if God was His Father - then He was doing what the old testament said were the 10 commandments.  He even told the pharisees to read moses when it came to their question about divorce.  and, in private, with his own disciples explained that moses permitted it in cases of infidelity - but that when a man/woman divorces and remarries that they are committing adultery.  Jesus took the OT commandments from God to moses literally.  I don't see how Jesus could be any more jewish (excepting that i truly believe He also was the Son of God).  i don't really think that they were attempting to discourage jews from their own beliefs and practices.  handel simply picked a piece of music.  the words are pretty much direct from the bible.  it's the 'end of the story.'  we only see the beginning, middle, and slight leaning towards the end.  in the end - all who call on the name of God will be saved.  that includes jews.  in fact, someplace in the bible it says that the gospel is to the 'jew first.'  that means, they have a special place to keep the word of God holy as an example to the entire world.

a lot of verses of the 'hallelujah chorus' are from revelations.  rev. 11:15 'the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his CHRIST; and He shall reign forever and ever.  if some people do not believe Christ is Lord now - they will be like doubting thomas.  they need to see the ressurrected King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  but that does not mean that they cannot keep the commandments of God.  perhaps in the day of trouble they will be spared for keeping their minds open to at least considering the possiblity. 

rev. 14:12 'here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.  even if we have faith like a mustard seed - it is still believing that God is God and can pretty much do anything He desires.  Jesus came to free us from sin.  He said noone, excepting God was good - and that was after someone called him 'good master.'  if He didn't even consider Himself above his Father, it shows us that we cannot consider ourselves 'good' - but always in need of repentance and continual modification.  an ongoing process.  washing our sins away can be done now with baptism - or at Jesus return - simply asking Him (ok, now i see you and believe) please wash my sins away.  the thief on the cross did this before the ressurrection - but he noticed the peaceful manner of Jesus dying and realized that it was from the Holy Spirit.  many believed afterwards because the temple veil was ripped (by itself) and there was a great earthquake at the time he died and also at the ressurrection.  i would like to see earthquake records - because i feel that they could prove what happened in Jesus day affected the entire world.

Maybe it is my dislexia, but to be honest, because it is so long and verbous I did not understand anything.
Could you say the same, but in two sentences, or one short paragrath, at the most.

Best, M

[pianistimo]

ok.  handel also wrote 'israel in egypt.'  i don't think he was anti-semitic.  why would he bother with an old testament oratorio?  actually, i think he wanted to preserve some history. 

didn't handel write 'saul' and 'samson and delilah.'  so many oratorios from the old testament.  it doesn't seem fitting to say he was anti-semitic.  i think the tune 'zadok the priest' is used during coronation ceremonies in britain for the monarchy.