Messiah Reading Answers

Sep 13, 2024

Messiah Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Messiah Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total, 14-18 you have to fill in the blanks with correct words, 19-22 choose the correct match,23-26 find which paragraph contains the information given in the question.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers, which feature topics such as Messiah Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

READING PASSAGE - 2

HANDEL'S POPULAR MASTERPIECE

MESSIAH

Handel's Messiah debuted on stage of the New Music Hall in Dublin on April 13, 1742 and premiered in London almost a year later. Dubliners were delighted to have such as star as Handel visit their city and flocked to hear his new composition, Messiah. Handel himself performed, conducting while he played the organ, and the singers and orchestra were all local musicians, except for Christina Maria Avoglio, an Italian soprano and the contralto Susannah Cibber from England. The evening is considered one of the cultural highlights in the musical history of Dublin, and is now commemorated every year on April 13, with an outdoor performance of Messiah.
Though first performed as an Easter piece, Messiah is now internationally performed as part of the traditional Christmas repertoire and concert halls around the world are almost obliged to schedule the piece, particularly in the US and Britain. Most choirs have it as part of their repertoire, and this is part of its appeal. Due to the scale of the piece, amateur singers audition to take a part in professional performances, which require more voices to enlarge the choir. Unlike Handel's other oratorios, where the choir sings only briefly and the solo singers are the chief storytellers, in Messiah the emotional impact and uplifting message is carried forward by the chorus, which is the main feature.
Born in Halle, Germany in 1685, Handel was ablished composer and musician in Germany and Italy before moving to London in 1710. London was on the way to becoming the commercial centre of Europe and the wealthy middle classes had developed a thriving musical scene. Handel became famous there for his Italian operas, which for a time, made him a fortune and he was celebrated as a leading musical force in London. He appreciated this recognition and became a British citizen in 1727, even anglicizing his name.
In 1741, before Messiah, it had looked like Handel's career was coming to an end. Italian opera had waned in popularity and most of his earnings had been put into opera productions. Recent London concerts had not been well attended, and some had even been cancelled. He had amassed debts which he could not pay, and was looking a term in debtor's prison if his fortunes did not turn around. It was at this time he received an invitation from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Duke of Devonshire, to give a series of concerts in Dublin. Dublin was a fast-growing, prosperous city and its citizens seemed much more enthusiastic than Londoners to welcome the presence of a composer like Handel. He performed these concerts over the winter of 1741 but not Messiah. While in Dublin he was asked by a charity to compose a work to raise money to release debtors from prison. He was quick to accept and ironically, the fee he would be paid saved him from the same fate. He had already written Messiah the previous September, but perhaps a premonition of financial redemption had inspired the wonderfully uplifting Hallelujah choruses.
Handel had started writing the uncommissioned score in late August 1741 in London. It was set to a libretto based on scriptural text written by his good friend Charles Jennens. He wrote day and night sleeping little, often in tears as he wrote. He even refused food, which was commented on by his servants, as he was unusually obese for the time and had a huge appetite. After twenty-four days he had produced the 259 page oratorio, with relatively few errors or changes in light of the length of the score. He immediately moved on to another work, Samson, which he finished by the end of October before going to Dublin. So when Handel was approached by the charity to perform a concert, he had at least two recently composed works to offer. Though the Dublin performance was a success, it did take some time for Messiah to become popular in London. Performances there the following season were met with indifference. It was not until the piece was relaunched by Handel in 1749 at a concert at Covent Garden that it started to be noticed, and regularly performed. Handel never wrote another opera and began concentrating on oratorio, reviving his fortunes with its success.
Handel himself was fond of Messiah. He had an annual benefit concert for his favourite children's charity, London's Foundling Hospital,that of a millionaire by today's standards. Most of his fortune was left to charities and the rest to friends, servants and his family in Germany. He also left £600 to be used for his own monument in Westminster Abbey, where British monarchs and accomplished subjects are buried.and it always included the piece. And even when he was blind and in terrible health in 1759, he insisted on attending a performance of Messiah in Covent Garden conducted by his student, J.C. Smith. Handel died at home eight days later. His total estate was valued at £20,000,
Handel's reputation and that of his best-known composition has only continued to grow since his death. When Mozart re-orchestrated Messiah in 1789, he confessed his humility in the face of Handel's genius, insisting that any alterations to Handel's score were not an effort to improve the music. He said that Handel had known better than any what would create an effect, and when he had chosen, he struck like a thunderbolt.

Questions 14-18

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND A NUMBER for each.

HANDEL'S MESSIAH

first performed in Dublin in 1742, and still performed annually there on 14..............

Answer:April 13

Supporting statement: Handel's Messiah debuted on stage of the New Music Hall in Dublin on April 13, 1742 and premiered in London almost a year later

Keywords: Dublin, April 13, London

Keyword location: paragraph A,1st line

Explanation: Handel's Messiah debuted on the stage of the New Music Hall in Dublin on April 13, 1742, and premiered in London almost a year later

the chorus part is vast, so 15................. singers are often included in the choir.

Answer: Ameture

Supporting statement: Due to the scale of the piece, amateur singers audition to take a part in professional performances, which require more voices to enlarge the choir.

Keywords: amature, singers, choir

Keyword location: paragraph B,2nd line

Explanation: Due to the scale of the piece, amateur singers audition to take a part in professional performances, which require more voices to enlarge the choir.

Handel's initial success in London was due to the 16........

Answer: Italian operas

Supporting statement: Handel became famous there for his Italian operas, which for a time, made him a fortune and he was celebrated as a leading musical force in London.

Keywords: Handle, Italian operas, London

Keyword location: paragraph C,3rd line

Explanation: Handel became famous there for his Italian operas, which for a time, made him a fortune and he was celebrated as a leading musical force in London.

Messiah was first performed because a 17................. he composed. asked him to put on a concert.

Answer: charity

Supporting statement: While in Dublin he was asked by a charity to compose a work to raise money to release debtors from prison. He was quick to accept and ironically, the fee he would be paid saved him from the same fate

Keywords: Dublin, Charity, accept

Keyword location: paragraph D,3rd line

Explanation: While in Dublin he was asked by a charity to compose a work to raise money to release debtors from prison. He was quick to accept and ironically, the fee he would be paid saved him from the same fate.

it only took Handel 18.... .......... days to write the score.

Answer: Twenty -four

Supporting statement: After twenty-four days he had produced the 259 page oratorio, with relatively few errors or changes in light of the length of the score.

Keywords: twenty-four, produced, changes

Keyword location: paragraph E,5th line

Explanation: After twenty-four days he had produced the 259-page oratorio, with relatively few errors or changes in light of the length of the score.

Questions 19-20

Look at the following statements (Questions 19-22) and the list of people's names. Match each statement with the correct name, A, B, C, D or E.

a pupil of Handel

Answer: D

Supporting statement: And even when he was blind and in terrible health in 1759, he insisted on attending a performance of Messiah in Covent Garden conducted by his student, J.C. Smith.

Keywords: student, J.C. Smith

Keyword location: paragraph F, 5th line

Explanation: And even when he was blind and in terrible health in 1759, he insisted on attending a performance of Messiah in Covent Garden conducted by his student, J.C. Smith. J. C. Smith was his student.

wrote the words to Messiah

Answer:C

Supporting statement: It was set to a libretto based on scriptural text written by his good friend Charles Jennens. He wrote day and night sleeping little, often in tears as he wrote.

Keywords: Charles Jennens, wrote

Keyword location: paragraph F,2nd line

Explanation: It was set to a libretto based on scriptural text written by his good friend Charles Jennens. He wrote day and night sleeping little, often in tears as he wrote.

LIST OF PEOPLE

Christina Maria Avoglio
The Duke of Devonshire
Charles Jennens
J.C. Smith
Mozart

Questions 21-22

Look at the following statements (Questions 21-22) and the list of people's names. Match each statement with the correct name, A, B, C, D or E.

a singer in the first performance of Answer: A

Supporting statement: Handel himself performed, conducting while he played the organ, and the singers and orchestra were all local musicians, except for Christina Maria Avoglio, an Italian soprano and the contralto Susannah Cibber from England.

Keywords: musician, Christina Maria Avoglio.

Keyword location: 1st paragraph, 3rd line

Explanation: Handel himself performed, conducting while he played the organ, and the singers and orchestra were all local musicians, except for Christina Maria Avoglio, an Italian soprano and the contralto Susannah Cibber from England.

invited Handel to Dublin

Answer:B

Supporting statement:It was at this time he received an invitation from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Duke of Devonshire, to give a series of concerts in Dublin. Dublin was a fast-growing, prosperous city and its citizens seemed much more enthusiastic than Londoners to welcome the presence of a composer like Handel.

Keywords: Duke of Devonshire, Dublin, composer

Keyword location: paragraph D, 3rd line

Explanation: It was at this time he received an invitation from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Duke of Devonshire, to give a series of concerts in Dublin. Dublin was a fast-growing, prosperous city and its citizens seemed much more enthusiastic than Londoners to welcome the presence of a composer like Handel.

LIST OF PEOPLE

Christina Maria Avoglio
The Duke of Devonshire
Charles Jennens
J.C. Smith
Mozart

Questions 23-26

Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs, A-G. Which paragraph contains the following information?

the reason Handel turned from opera to oratorio

Answer: E

Supporting statement: Performances there the following season were met with indifference. It was not until the piece was relaunched by Handel in 1749 at a concert at Covent Garden that it started to be noticed, and regularly performed. Handel never wrote another opera and began concentrating on oratorio, reviving his fortunes with its success.

Keywords: relaunched, opera, oratorio

Keyword location: paragraph E,last line

Explanation: Performances there the following season were met with indifference. It was not until the piece was relaunched by Handel in 1749 at a concert at Covent Garden that it started to be noticed, and regularly performed. Handel never wrote another opera and began concentrating on oratorio, reviving his fortunes with its success.

how Handel changed his name

Answer: C

Supporting statement: Handel became famous there for his Italian operas, which for a time, made him a fortune and he was celebrated as a leading musical force in London. He appreciated this recognition and became a British citizen in 1727, even anglicizing his name.

Keywords: Handel, anglicizing name

Keyword location: paragraph C, last line

Explanation: Handel became famous there for his Italian operas, which for a time, made him a fortune and he was celebrated as a leading musical force in London. He appreciated this recognition and became a British citizen in 1727, even anglicizing his name.

information on how Handel's memorial was funded

Answer: F

Supporting statement: He also left £600 to be used for his own monument in Westminster Abbey, where British monarchs and accomplished subjects are buried.and it always included the piece.

Keywords: monument,£600

Keyword location: paragraph F, 3rd line

Explanation: He also left £600 to be used for his own monument in Westminster Abbey, where British monarchs and accomplished subjects are buried.and it always included the piece.

a famous person who admired Handel

Answer:G

Supporting statement: When Mozart re-orchestrated Messiah in 1789, he confessed his humility in the face of Handel's genius, insisting that any alterations to Handel's score were not an effort to improve the music.

Keywords: Mozart, humility, genius

Keyword location: paragraph G,2nd line

Explanation: When Mozart re-orchestrated Messiah in 1789, he confessed his humility in the face of Handel's genius, insisting that any alterations to Handel's score were not an effort to improve the music.

Read More IELTS Reading Related Samples