The focus of this new edition is the Messiah as first conceived by the composer in 1741: before its first performance in Dublin in 1742, before the first London performances of the mid 1740s, before the final Foundling Hospital performances in the late 1750s. The editor succeeds in creating a 21st-century edition from the perspective of 1741, making clear that Messiah was a genius hit from the start.

Messiah 1741 – the first and only complete edition of Händel's autograph score

• Thorough ...