Smithsonian Associates: Two Holiday Masterworks: Handel’s Messiah and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, Lecture 1 – Messiah

As the winter draws near and preparations begin for seasonal festivals of wonder and sacred joy, no classical music more powerfully expresses the sense of glory and enchantment than two pillars of the holiday repertoire: Handel’s mighty oratorio Messiah and Tchaikovsky’s exquisite ballet The Nutcracker. Each year, when people experience these deeply loved cornerstones again, their sense of returning feels complete, but how well do they know these seemingly familiar classics?

Behind each composer’s triumphant achievement lies a history filled with complex personal struggles, bereavement, social and political change, and religious controversy. Popular speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin takes a deep dive into what factors shaped the creativity of both Handel and Tchaikovsky, and why Messiah and The Nutcracker continue to inspire.

British-born Franklin has been a featured speaker for organizations including the Library of Congress and NPR, exploring intersections among classical and jazz music, film scores, and the fine arts.

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Handel composed his Messiah in a white-hot burst over just 24 days, and its Easter 1742 premiere in Dublin was an extraordinary success. Ticket demand was so intense that the promoters famously asked women not to wear hoop skirts and men to leave their swords at home to make “room for more company.” But a year later in London, Handel encountered profound controversy about performing sacred scripture in a public theater and even avoided using its title. Today his Easter offering has become a Christmas staple and millions participate joyfully in its performance every year. While exploring the Messiah’s celestial musical range, Franklin also examines Handel’s formidable character and gargantuan eating habits, and his rocky partnership with his librettist Charles Jennens. She surveys Dublin and London’s vibrant 18th-century concert life and considers the enduring search for spiritual transcendence through this majestic music.