Summary
Overview
This is the first episode in a three-part series exploring Handel's Messiah, tracing its 1742 Dublin premiere and examining why this 280-year-old piece of music continues to resonate so powerfully today. The episode investigates the historical context of Messiah's creation during a time of war, disease, and political upheaval, revealing how it became a monument to hope and human agency that emerged from a universe of pain.
A Personal Journey into Messiah
Host Stephen Dubner recounts falling in love with Handel's Messiah during a COVID-era concert, when fear and uncertainty dominated daily life. This personal connection led to a deep exploration of why this particular piece of music has such a profound emotional impact across centuries and cultures. The episode examines how historical outcomes that seem obvious in hindsight were never foregone conclusions, and how fear of the future remains a default human condition.
- Dubner fell in love with Messiah during COVID, when there was mask wearing, social isolation, death, but also glimmers of hope
- Historical outcomes that seem obvious today were not always obvious in the moment - if decisions had gone differently, outcomes might have changed
- The older Dubner gets, the more he realizes that fear of the future is essentially a default condition of humankind
" One thing I've learned from interviewing historians over the years is that the historical outcomes that seem obvious today were not always obvious in the moment. "
" If you sense there is an ill wind blowing, you assume it will keep blowing in the same direction and that things will only get worse. So we make all sorts of predictions based on uncertainty and fear. "
The Dublin Premiere and Fishamble Street
The episode travels to Dublin's Fishamble Street, where Messiah premiered in 1742. Despite being one of the world's most famous musical works, very little of the original venue remains beyond a wall fragment and commemorative plaque. The area celebrates this heritage with performances every Easter, and the episode discovers remarkable connections to people who keep the Messiah tradition alive in Dublin today.
- Messiah premiered on Fishamble Street on April 13, 1742 - originally linked to Easter, not Christmas
- Very little of the original music hall remains except a wall fragment and arch
- A large outdoor Messiah performance happens on Fishamble Street every Easter, usually in rain, with people bringing rain-soaked scores from previous years
- Michael Casey's house is the only building on Fishamble Street that has been in continuous occupation since the early 1700s
" There is a huge platform put up here, covered, of course, because it will inevitably be raining. And then everyone gathers in front, usually wearing anoraks. "
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