Baroque Banter Episode 34: Handel's Messiah: Origins and Afterlife

Baroque Banter Episode 34: Handel's Messiah: Origins and Afterlife

Author: Pinchgut Opera November 20, 2025 Duration: 48:48
Recorded live at the State Library of NSW, this episode of Baroque Banter takes you on a captivating journey into the origins and afterlife of Handel’s Messiah. Ahead of Pinchgut Opera’s upcoming performance of the Original 1742 Dublin Version, Dr Erin Helyard, Artistic Director of Pinchgut Opera and Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, guides us through the rich history, context, and evolution of Handel’s masterpiece. The episode also features a special live performance by mezzo-soprano Ashlyn Tymms, accompanied by Erin on harpsichord. Select Bibliography Donald Burrows, Handel: Messiah (Cambridge Music Handbooks, 1991) Lydia Goehr, The Imaginary Museum of Musical Works: An Essay in the Philosophy of Music (Oxford, 1992) Charles King, Every Valley: The Story of Handel’s Messiah (Random House, 2024) Ruth Smith, Charles Jennens: The Man Behind Handel’s Messiah (Handel House Trust, 2012) Ruth Smith, Handel's Oratorios and Eighteenth-Century Thought (Cambridge University Press, 1995)

Behind every great performance is a story waiting to be told. Baroque Banter, from the team at Pinchgut Opera, pulls back the velvet curtain on the world of Baroque music, offering a backstage pass to the people and ideas that bring these centuries-old works to vibrant life. This isn't just a series of recordings; it's a conversation. You'll hear from the exceptional artists and fearless creative teams, including insights from the acclaimed Orchestra of the Antipodes and its ARIA Award-winning Artistic Director, Erin Helyard. Each episode delves into the process of taking masterpieces from the Baroque era and making them feel immediate, vivid, and thrilling. Whether the discussion centers on a dazzling opera production or the intricacies of an intimate concert, the goal is to explore how this music resonates today. Tune in to discover the craft, the historical context, and the sheer passion that defines a Pinchgut production. This podcast provides a deeper appreciation for the wonder of Baroque music, designed to enrich the experience for seasoned lovers and curious newcomers alike. Let the banter begin.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 37

Baroque Banter
Podcast Episodes
Baroque Banter: Episode 25 - The new prologue for Dido and Aeneas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:27
Join award-winning writer and actor Kate Mulvany OAM and acclaimed director Lucy Clements as they discuss the new prologue for Pinchgut's new production of Dido and Aeneas. In the spirit of providing a backstory and cont…
Baroque Banter: Episode 23 - Pre-performance podcast - Rinaldo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:07
Host Keiren Brandt-Sawdy chats with conductor Erin Helyard and director Louisa Muller about one of the most beloved works in the Baroque repertoire. Discover fresh insight into Pinchgut's first staging of a Handel opera,…
Baroque Banter: Episode 21 - French Imports [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:08
Baroque Banter 11: French Imports. In this Baroque Banter Erin Helyard talks about the influence of Italian music and musicians in France in the seventeenth century. He talks about opera, dances, chaconnes, passacaglias…
Baroque Banter: Episode 20 - Pre-performance podcast - Giustino [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:42
Host Genevieve Lang is joined by Pinchgut's Artistic Director Erin Helyard and director Dean Bryant to discuss the much anticipated Australian premiere of the opera Giustino by Legrenzi. A forgotten triumph of Venetian o…
Baroque Banter: Episode 18 Sneak Peek Season 2023 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:08
Pinchgut Opera presents a very special episode of Baroque Banter! Host Genevieve Lang is joined by Pinchgut's Artistic Director Erin Helyard to discuss the exciting season of Baroque and Early Music concerts and operas a…
Baroque Banter: Episode 17 - Pre-performance podcast - Médée [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:03
To help you prepare for your attendance at Médée, we invite you to listen to Pinchgut's pre-opera podcast. Hosted by Genevieve Lang, with guests Pinchgut Opera Artistic Director Erin Helyard, and Director Justin Way. For…