Premiere of Handel's Samson
- When
- 1741–1742
- Where
- Unknown; London
- Episodes
- 2
George Frideric Handel's oratorio Samson premiered at Covent Garden in London on 18 February 1743. The work was composed in 1741, revised in 1742, and is considered one of his finest dramatic works.
Episodes
- Composition of Samson
Handel composed the three-act oratorio Samson in 1741, completing it by late October.
- Revision of Samson
Handel returned to London in August 1742 to thoroughly revise Samson after premiering Messiah in Dublin.
Background and detail
Composition and Revision. Handel began composing Samson immediately after completing Messiah in September 1741. He finished the entire work by late October 1741. After premiering Messiah in Dublin, he returned to London in August 1742 to thoroughly revise Samson.
The Premiere. The oratorio was first performed at Covent Garden in London on 18 February 1743. Although usually performed in concert form, it has occasionally been staged as an opera. The work is regarded as one of Handel's finest dramatic compositions.
People involved
- George Frideric Handel · Composer
Sources
- Samson (Handel) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-05-27
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.