Every Valley
The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel's Messiah
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Narrated by:
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Juliet Stevenson
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By:
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Charles King
About this listen
THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE • From New York Times bestselling historian and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist Charles King, the moving untold story of the eighteenth-century men and women behind the making of Handel’s Messiah
"A delicious history of music, power, love, genius, royalty and adventure."—Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World
"A book of power and glory, brimming with emotion and dazzling in its reach."—Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Cleopatra and The Revolutionary
George Frideric Handel’s Messiah is arguably the greatest piece of participatory art ever created. Adored by millions, it is performed each year by renowned choirs and orchestras, as well as by audiences singing along with the words on their cell phones.
But this work of triumphant joy was born in a worried age. Britain in the early Enlightenment was a place of astonishing creativity but also the seat of an empire mired in war, enslavement, and conflicts over everything from the legitimacy of government to the meaning of truth. Against this turbulent background, prize-winning author Charles King has crafted a cinematic drama of the troubled lives that shaped a masterpiece of hope.
Every Valley presents a depressive dissenter stirred to action by an ancient prophecy; an actress plagued by an abusive husband and public scorn; an Atlantic sea captain and penniless philanthropist; and an African Muslim man held captive in the American colonies and hatching a dangerous plan for getting back home. At center stage is Handel himself, composer to kings but, at midlife, in ill health and straining to keep an audience’s attention. Set amid royal intrigue, theater scandals, and political conspiracy, Every Valley is entertaining, inspiring, unforgettable.
©2024 Charles King (P)2024 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“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 Handel’s musical imagination.”—John Adams, The New York Times Book Review
“[C]ompelling. King transforms Handel's world into a place we can all recognize and understand as the foundation for our own.”—The Washington Post
“Smartly written . . . In explaining the social and biographical background of the story of Messiah, King brings the masterpiece to life—and keeps it alive."—The Washington Examiner
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By: Malcolm X, and others
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Mythology: Mega Collection
- Classic Stories from the Greek, Celtic, Norse, Japanese, Hindu, Chinese, Mesopotamian and Egyptian Mythology
- By: Scott Lewis
- Narrated by: Madison Niederhauser, Oliver Hunt
- Length: 31 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Do you know how many wives Zeus had? Or how the famous Trojan War was caused by one beautiful lady? Or how Thor got his hammer? Give your imagination a real treat. This Mega Mythology Collection of eight audiobooks is for you....
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An interesting set of introductions.
- By Kevin Potter on 05-30-19
By: Scott Lewis
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Flannery O'Connor and the Scandal of Faith
- By: Jessica Hooten Wilson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jessica Hooten Wilson
- Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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Across six revealing lectures, Professor Jessica Hooten Wilson will introduce you to one of the 20th century’s most fascinating and divisive writers in Flannery O’Connor and the Scandal of Faith. Beginning with an overview of her brief but remarkable life, Professor Wilson will then take you through an exploration of themes in O’Connor’s work and the hallmarks of her literary style. You’ll get a clearer picture of O’Connor’s historical and geographical context while digging into how her stories can transcend time and place.
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The author reading her own book.
- By James T Casey on 12-16-24
By: Jessica Hooten Wilson, and others
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The Pagan World
- Ancient Religions Before Christianity
- By: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Hans-Friedrich Mueller
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Original Recording
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In The Pagan World: Ancient Religions Before Christianity, you will meet the fascinating, ancient polytheistic peoples of the Mediterranean and beyond, their many gods and goddesses, and their public and private worship practices, as you come to appreciate the foundational role religion played in their lives. Professor Hans-Friedrich Mueller, of Union College in Schenectady, New York, makes this ancient world come alive in 24 lectures with captivating stories of intrigue, artifacts, illustrations, and detailed descriptions from primary sources of intriguing personalities.
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The Pagan World
- By arnold e andersen md Dr Andersen on 03-28-20
By: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, and others
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The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome
- By: Gregory S. Aldrete, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Original Recording
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The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome traces the breathtaking history from the empire’s foundation by Augustus to its Golden Age in the 2nd century CE through a series of ever-worsening crises until its ultimate disintegration. Taught by acclaimed Professor Gregory S. Aldrete of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, these 24 captivating lectures offer you the chance to experience this story like never before, incorporating the latest historical insights that challenge our previous notions of Rome’s decline.
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Gregory S. Aldrete is a treasure
- By Laurel Tucker on 02-04-19
By: Gregory S. Aldrete, and others
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Fingerprints of the Gods
- The Quest Continues
- By: Graham Hancock
- Narrated by: Graham Hancock
- Length: 18 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Fingerprints of the Gods is the revolutionary rewrite of history that has persuaded millions of listeners throughout the world to change their preconceptions about the history behind modern society. An intellectual detective story, this unique history audiobook directs probing questions at orthodox history, presenting disturbing new evidence that historians have tried - but failed - to explain.
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Classic in Historical Mysteries
- By Kelly on 09-05-19
By: Graham Hancock
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What listeners say about Every Valley
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- D. Littman
- 11-17-24
Great narration, one of Audible’s best narrators
Odd book, not actually much about Handel’s Messiah. Interesting nonetheless. At times. At other times, not so much.
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- Michael
- 11-19-24
Untitled Praise
Amazing how well the author wove together at the end all the seemingly tangents of side stories. Also appreciated the playing of the Hallelujah Chorus at the end of the book. Would not get that in print.
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- William Clark
- 12-18-24
Messiah (the music) speaks for itself.
Miraculous music was born out of the mundane. Aspects of these stories were very interesting. I enjoyed gaining a better historical perspective of class, privilege, and shifting political landscapes. It's good to be reminded of how far we've come with childhood poverty and the rights of women (or lack of rights).
Surprisingly, what stayed with me was the fuller understanding of the broad and permanent effect of slavery. So much of the acheivements of what we call the Enlightenment, as well as the wealth and dominance of Europe and the United States was built on the keen ability to industrialized slavery based on race.
The paradox is that this moving masterpiece, Messiah, would not have come about without it.
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- Charles T. White
- 11-22-24
This book is not about Handel
What a frustrating book! It seemed like a schoolboy’s book report, when its writer hadn’t read the book. There are thousands of sentences written about everything under the Sun EXCEPT G.F. Handel!
How did this book get published? I’m mystified! Apparently, Handel had few letters or writings that survived the centuries since his death. Nor were there any worthy accounts from people who knew him. So what do we get? Pretty much nothing about Handel himself.
What a mess. Now I go forward, looking for a book that’s actually about Handel. Sigh.
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