Re: Rule, Britannia...

[Eliott Kahn <Elkahn...>]

>
>1)  Handel's oratorio Messiah was composed with an overtly Christian
>agenda.  Then and now, certain Christians have used their readings of OT
>texts to further their own agendas to the detriment of Jews.

I was always under the impression that Christians used prophets like Isaiah to 
foretell the coming of Jesus Christ. I see no "agenda" in this, Alex, short of 
one faith building upon the texts of an earlier one.



>4)  There are many reasons OT themes might be used in oratorios.  They
>were conceived as popular, commercial entertainment and competed with
>Italian opera.  Theatrical potential is one possibility, an elegant
>tradition of OT English via the King James Bible another.  Chosenness is
>not one I've heard.  If there's evidence of any Jewish role in British
>popular entertainment in the early 18th century, I'd be interested in what
>it was.

The oratorio originated in the "oratory" next to a certain church in late 16th, 
early 17th century Rome. They were specifically performed during Lent, when 
Roman Catholics were forbidden to attend the opera. I do not know if a 
proclivity for Old Testament texts began during this time, I do know, however, 
that Carissimi's JEPTHA was an oratorio from the early 17th century. I would be 
curious if there was an Italian tradition that used Old Testament texts for 
oratorios. If so, Handel might have picked it up during his years in Italy.

Chag sameach,

Eliott Kahn


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