This account of the origins, early performances and subsequent history of one of the most popular musical works in the English-speaking world is published to tie-in with the 250th anniversary of the premiere. The first performance took place in Dublin in April, 1742. Richard Luckett charts the background and composition of Messiah, the often stormy relations between Handel and his librettist Charles Jennens, the colourful lives and personalities of the original soloists and the complex history of the work after its first performance - through its often grotesque inflation in the late-18th and 19th centuries (as in the gargantuan Crystal Palace performances) to its central position in today's authentic movement. Luckett also draws a vivid picture of mid-18th century Dublin and of the musical world of London, with its factions and claques. The text is complemented by 40 drawings, engravings, caricatures and facsimiles of Handel's autograph score.