Messiah

 “As Mr. Handel in his oratorios greatly excels all other Composers I am acquainted with, so in the famous one called the Messiah he seems to have excelled himself. The whole is beyond any thing I had a notion of till I Read and heard it. It seems to be a Species of Musick different from any other, and this is particularly remarkable...” (Dr. Edward Synge, Bishop of Elphin, Ireland 1742)

It has become a much-loved tradition to have Handel‘s most famous oratorio performed at the festival by important Handel interpreters and different orchestras and choirs. This year, the Hungarian conductor György Vashegyi will be providing an impressive performance of Handel‘s work for the first time in Halle, together with a hand-picked cast of soloists, the Purcell Choir and the Orfeo Orchestra. The Purcell Choir and the Orfeo Orchestra work closely together and enjoy wide international acclaim. Together they have made numerous TV, CD and concert recordings in Hungary.

Their trademarks include Hungarian premieres of key early music works and rediscoveries of unjustly forgotten composers, but also concerts of Haydn symphonies at their original venue: Esterházy Palace in Fertőd. These early music specialists also collaborate closely with the Centre de Musique Baroque in Versailles, which has resulted in a number of opera productions, including CD recordings.