Every Valley: The Story of Handel's Messiah by Charles King Hardcover Book

Description: Every Valley by Charles King The extraordinary true story of intertwined lives that lies behind Handels Messiah, the most performed piece of classical music ever writtenLondon - Dublin, 1741-42.An actress mired in scandal plans her escape from an abusive husband.A penniless sea captain sets out to rescue the citys abandoned infants.An African Muslim and former captive in the colonies becomes a celebrity.A grieving political dissident seeks release from his torment.And a great composer to kings - George Frideric Handel - now ill and straining to keep an audiences attention, faces a decision that will secure his place in history.Evoking a pivotal moment at the birth of modernity, a time of fear, conspiracy and uprising, and featuring some of the most unusual and brilliant personalities of the eighteenth century, Every Valley is a cinematic and moving drama of hope in the darkness and the entangled lives that shaped a masterpiece. FORMAT Hardcover CONDITION Brand New Author Biography Charles King is Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University, Washington DC. His numerous books include the New York Times bestseller The Reinvention of Humanity (published in the US as Gods of the Upper Air), which was winner of The Francis Parkman Prize and shortlisted for the British Academy Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award; Midnight at the Pera Palace- The Birth of Modern Istanbul; and Odessa- Genius and Death in a City of Dreams, which was winner of a National Jewish Book Award. His writing has appeared in the TLS, New York Times, Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, The New Republic and other publications. Review Much closer to the teeming panorama of a novel like War and Peace than the narrow focus of most books about music history . . . It takes a rare blend of scholarship, ingenuity and empathy to weave together the stories of the mostly distressed souls who, one way or another, were connected with Messiahs creation . . . King expertly juggles these individuals stories and a lot more besides . . . riveting -- Richard Morrison * The Times, *Book of the Week* *A mesmerizing journey through one of the most fascinating and creative moments in human history -- AMANDA FOREMANThis book reveals . . . fascinating historical truths . . . By following the links between individuals who are connected by varying degrees of separation with the works original creation and promotion, the author discovers that this one musical piece can stimulate joined-up insights into almost every significant aspect of its period: cultural, political, social, economic . . . His technique is often cinematic, focusing in and then panning out . . . In every case the macro picture is made vivid through the micro stories of individuals. Anyone who has ever written a historical narrative will know how hard it must have been for King to keep all the strands so expertly in play. The result is a truly informative, imaginative and engaging work * Financial Times *An absolute delight, beautifully told – and featuring a veritable Whos Who of the Georgian era -- PETER FRANKOPANCharles Kings fascinating history of Handels most famous work shows it in a whole new light . . . his book humanises the works exalted creators and demonstrates that the Messiah is not a pompous manifesto of faith but a troubled, often desperate quest for consolation . . . King . . . does a fine job of implicating Handel in the conflicts and contradictions of an unsettled society -- Peter Conrad * Observer *Engaging and enthusiastic . . . King handles a very large cast of characters and source material with energy, intelligence and aplomb -- Freya Johnstone * Literary Review *Fascinating . . . Kings narrative is wide-ranging, taking in not just the ailing composer and his circle – such as Thomas Coram, instigator of Londons Foundling Hospital – but . . . how the Messiah coincided with the birth of the Enlightenment . . . In Kings telling, the "Hallelujah Chorus" is just one rousing highlight among many -- Michael Prodger * New Statesman *An adroitly threaded account of Handels life and achievements [that] opens out to a colourful gallery of 18th-century personalities who played a part in making Messiah what it was . . . lively . . . readable, well researched and rich with detail . . . an engaging narrative . . . full of understanding, setting a good example for any who would write about music . . . thoughtful and wide-ranging * Gramophone *A splendid writer . . . a meticulous researcher, [King] delivers surprises . . . fine and vivid sentences . . . fascinating * The Atlantic *Compelling. King transforms Handels world into a place we can all recognise and understand as the foundation for our own * Washington Post *A book rich with quirky characters living under strange circumstances: eccentric royals, visionary benefactors, financial collapses, theatrical triumphs and career meltdowns . . . we are plunged into the hectic mayhem of London life * The New York Times *In an engagingly written story . . . Charles King explores the background to a work which he considers the greatest piece of participatory art ever created. Kings discursive and genial approach . . . make for enjoyable reading . . . a birds-eye view of Georgian London, seasoned with apposite quotes from leading literary figures of the time, including Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift * BBC Music Magazine *What is it that thrills audiences and lifts the hearts of singers? In Every Valley Charles King . . . sets out to explain the Messiahs enduring popularity . . . King interweaves the lives of several people directly or tangentially connected with it [and] accompanies these with analyses of Georgian life and thought . . . the result is a densely textured history of the era . . . [that] vividly evoke[s] its origins, creation and impact on eighteenth-century society, while also suggesting the message it conveys to our own -- Jenny Uglow * New York Review of Books *Smartly written . . . In explaining the social and biographical background of the story of Messiah, King brings the masterpiece to life — and keeps it alive * Washington Examiner *King uses Handels Messiah, possibly "the greatest piece of participatory art ever created", as a hub whose spokes radiate outward to a host of key historical forces and personalities that characterize 18th-century Britain * A New York Times Notable Book of the Year *A work of vivid social and cultural commentary, it functions also as an in-depth study of artistic creation, how Messiah came to be, but also of the unstoppable spigot that was Handels musical imagination -- John Adams * The New York Times Book Review *A book of power and glory, brimming with emotion and dazzling in its reach -- STACY SCHIFFCharles King shows how Handels epic work, the Messiah, sprang not from one solitary composers genius but from the dramatic interplay of eighteenth-century lives and their times. Fascinating and accessible to all -- HENRY LOUIS GATES JRVividly depicting life in Britain during the turbulence of the 1700s, Charles King celebrates Handels Messiah as a glorious beacon of hope -- ELAINE PAGELSCharles Kings erudition is remarkable but never obtrusive, for he is a wonderful story-teller. Every Valley is eighteenth century history as page-turner, evoking both tears and laughter -- ARCHIE BROWNA delicious history of music, power, love, genius, royalty and adventure, beautifully told. Unforgettable -- SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIOREAn interesting biography dealing with events and characters with whom Handels life became entangled * Church Times *If you want to understand how the literature, music, history and economics of an era intertwine, then Every Valley is a book you should read… it reads like a novel… this is a grand read * Bachtrack, *Christmas Guide Guide 2024* * Details ISBN1847928455 Author Charles King Publisher Vintage Publishing Year 2024 ISBN-13 9781847928450 Format Hardcover Publication Date 2024-11-07 Imprint The Bodley Head Ltd Place of Publication London Country of Publication United Kingdom Audience General UK Release Date 2024-11-07 Subtitle The Story of Handels Messiah Pages 352 ISBN-10 1847928455 DEWEY 782.23092 Alternative 9781529945966 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! 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