The best-known and most beloved large-scale musical work in the English-speaking world, Messiah was first performed in Dublin over 200 years ago to benefit local charities. Since that time, it has given millions of performers their primary experience in singing classical music. Today it is the supreme example of the English oratorio. A meditation on the life of Christ, the work is a brilliant amalgam of traditional Italian opera, English anthem, and German Passion.Reprinted from the authoritative edition prepared by noted musical scholar Alfred Mann, this inexpensive, full-score edition will be welcomed by students, musicians, singers, and music lovers who will want to study and savor every detail of this glorious masterpiece.