Messiah: Love, Music and Malice at a Time of Handel
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Narrated by:
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David J Shaughnessy
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By:
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Sheena Vernon
About this listen
Harry Walsh is a young man on the make. He intends to become a famous singer, little knowing what dramas this will lead him through. He attaches himself to celebrity composer George Frederick Handel, maestro of the Italian opera and a favourite of royalty. But the aristocratic fashion for Handel is cooling. Opposing opera factions, one led by scheming castrato Senesino, knock the great man from his pinnacle. Meanwhile rival impresarios are capturing new audiences with vulgar burlesques and extravagant pleasure gardens. As Harry negotiates his way through these shifts in popular entertainment, his love life proves equally complicated. He develops a passion for Handel's shy, young assistant, Peter, and finds himself tied into a triangle of love that slowly and painfully falls apart. Documenting the launch of the great oratorio, the Messiah, in Dublin, and capturing the self-absorbed world of the singer, this is a light-hearted account of the rise and fall of the Italian opera in Hanoverian London. It is also a well-observed story of confused sexuality and an adolescent yearning for self-esteem and love.
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First published in 1900, when Thomas Mann was 25, Buddenbrooks is a minutely imagined chronicle of four generations of a North German mercantile family - a work so true to life that it scandalized the author’s former neighbours in his native Lübeck.
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Where Have You Been All My Life, Thomas Mann?
- By Virginia Waldron on 03-30-17
By: Thomas Mann
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The Queen of the Night
- By: Alexander Chee
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 19 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Lilliet Berne is a sensation of the Paris Opera, a legendary soprano with every accolade except an original role, every singer's chance at immortality. When one is finally offered to her, she realizes with alarm that the libretto is based on a hidden piece of her past. Only four could have betrayed her: one is dead, one loves her, one wants to own her. And one, she hopes, never thinks of her at all.
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Not my typical choice
- By fadedcharacter on 02-15-16
By: Alexander Chee
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Revealed
- By: Kate Noble
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Phillippa Benning is the unrivaled beauty of the Season. But when another lady challenges her for a marquis's attentions, Phillippa entices him to a secret rendezvous only to stumble upon The Blue Raven, England's most famous spy, lurking at the site of her planned tryst. The Blue Raven has uncovered an enemy plot directed at upcoming society functions, but he's unable to infiltrate London society.
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Really enjoyed this one — terrific listen — ignore the negative reviews
- By Pamela on 08-31-20
By: Kate Noble
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Swordspoint
- A Melodrama of Manners
- By: Ellen Kushner
- Narrated by: Ellen Kushner, Dion Graham, Katherine Kellgren, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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On the treacherous streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes. Within this elite, dangerous world, Richard St. Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless--until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero and villain can be altered in the blink of an eye.
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Ellen Kushner Owes me 30$
- By Daryl on 12-04-11
By: Ellen Kushner
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The Secrets of Wishtide
- By: Kate Saunders
- Narrated by: Anna Bentinck
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Mrs. Laetitia Rodd, aged 52, is the widow of an archdeacon who makes her living as a highly discreet private investigator. Her brother, Frederick Tyson, is a criminal barrister living in nearby Highgate with his wife and 10 children. Frederick finds the cases, and Laetitia solves them using her arch intelligence and her immaculate cover as an unsuspecting widow. When a case arises involving the son of the highly connected Sir James Calderstone, Laetitia sets off for Lincolnshire undercover as the family's new governess.
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Thoroughly enjoyable
- By Episteme on 12-31-16
By: Kate Saunders
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Florence Grace
- By: Tracy Rees
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 15 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Florrie Buckley is an orphan living on the wind-blasted moors of Cornwall. It's a hard existence, but Florrie is content; she runs wild in the mysterious landscape. She thinks her destiny is set in stone. But when Florrie is 14, she inherits a never-imagined secret. She is related to a wealthy and notorious London family: the Graces.
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Utterly brilliant!!!
- By Maria on 07-04-16
By: Tracy Rees
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Winter Collection
- Six Historical Short Stories (A Timeless Romance Anthology, Book 1)
- By: Sarah M. Eden, Heidi Ashworth, Annette Lyon, and others
- Narrated by: Karen Peakes
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Six award-winning authors have contributed brand new stories to A Timeless Romance Anthology: Winter Collection. A collection unlike any other, listeners will love this compilation of six sweet historical romance novellas, set in varying eras, yet all with one thing in common: Romance.
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Winter
- By Manila J. Dobbs on 08-12-23
By: Sarah M. Eden, and others
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Push Not the River
- By: James Conroyd Martin
- Narrated by: Dawn Harvey
- Length: 19 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Push Not the River is the rich story of Poland in the late 1700's - a time of heartache and turmoil as the country's once peaceful people are torn apart by neighboring countries and divided loyalties. It is then, at the young and vulnerable age of seventeen, that Lady Anna Maria Berezowska loses both of her parents and must leave the only home she has ever known.
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Save your time; buy something else.
- By AMS on 10-22-15
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Mademoiselle Boleyn
- By: Robin Maxwell
- Narrated by: Suzan Crowley
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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When her father is assigned the task of spying on the French Court, the charming and sweetly innocent Anne Boleyn is delighted by the thought of a new adventure. And she is not to be disappointed, for her beautiful sister, Mary, has been handed a mission: to let herself be seduced by the King of France in order to uncover his secrets. Mesmerized by the thrilling passion, intrigue, and betrayal that unfolds, Anne discovers the power of being a woman who catches the eye of a powerful king.
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Intriguing
- By Anonymous User on 11-10-18
By: Robin Maxwell
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A Little Thing Called Love
- By: Cathy Maxwell
- Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
- Length: 2 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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In New York Times best-selling author Cathy Maxwell's new novella, beautiful Jennifer Tarleton has no lack of noble suitors, but the only man who captures her attention is the one her father will never let her marry: Fyclan Morris. He's a brash adventurer, witty, courageous...and Irish! Even worse, her father blames her for their reversal of fortune. And it's a fortune - or, rather, his grandmother the fortune-teller - who foretold that Fyclan would meet "the one", a love prophesied in the stars.
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Wonderful Feel Good Novella
- By Colleen on 10-17-22
By: Cathy Maxwell
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The Fire Rose
- By: Mercedes Lackey
- Narrated by: Kate Black-Regan
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
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Accepting employment as a governess after hard times hit her family, medieval scholar Rosalind Hawkins is surprised when she learns that her mysterious employer has no children and only wants her to read to him through a speaking tube.
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Great story, poorly presented
- By Che on 02-26-10
By: Mercedes Lackey
What listeners say about Messiah: Love, Music and Malice at a Time of Handel
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Susan Los Angeles
- 06-19-15
Not Quite Merchant Ivory
Sheena Vernon’s Messiah: Love, Music and Malice at the Time of Handel invites the reader to join a young singer named Harry Walsh on a journey into the milieu of composer George-Frederic Handel, during the time period of 1732 through 1746. This tale of historical fiction is a well-researched page-turner packed with historical detail and diverse characters of such delightful specificity as one might find in the works of Forster, Dickens or Shakespeare. The story follows Harry Walsh and several other engaging fictional characters through their intricate relationships with persons at every level of society. Appearances are made by notable historic figures including Handel, Senesino, Farinelli, Paolo Rolli, John Beard, Sussana Arne Cibber and her brother Thomas Arne. Through Harry’s eyes, we are introduced to the musical world of this time period in London, and we are additionally afforded a generous view of both the dominant and subculture’s political, economic, artistic, social and sexual theories and practices.
Vernon depicts early 18th century London as a landscape of paradox, at once both familiar and unique. Though of German birth, Handel has become a British citizen, and he writes operas in Italian. The public fetishizes Italian opera but disdains the Italians who sing it and the Protestant German composer who writes it. Previously all the rage, Italian opera is now losing popularity. The style of foppish male clothing is admired among aristocrats but cause for suspicion when exhibited by a commoner. Extremes of wealth and poverty, art and burlesque, pleasure and piety, exist in close proximity. The city’s population is international, but xenophobic and incestuous, philanthropic and merciless. It is a fertile breeding ground for art, commerce, opportunity and disease. The soaring spirit of the Messiah is underscored by harsh social constructs and inequities. The author doesn’t mention it, but homosexuals are frequently sentenced to death by hanging. Harry’s journey, from confusion and narcissistic greed toward the wisdom of experience and the questionable adoption of convention, highlights issues that resonate today; he and others in Handel’s circle wrestle with personal integrity and identity against a prohibitive counterpoint of political, religious, artistic, cultural, sexual, and economic exclusion. Sheena Vernon succeeds in creating tension, mystery, humor, relevance and pathos.
Historical fiction strives to captivate the curiosity of both the history buff and the more “innocent” fiction reader. I love this genre, and I think it’s a difficult one because of the balance the writer has to achieve between being pedantic and making references that elude the reader. I admire the balance Sheena Vernon achieves in this regard. I imagine this may be her first public foray into the genre, and this piece shows her promise. I don’t wish to compare her to others who are masters of the genre, because I expect that the masters have evolved over time. I look forward to Sheena Vernon’s evolution as a writer of historical fiction. She is well equipped for the genre by her research skills, humor, and a striking gift for dialogue. Her choice of the focus for this book indicates a curiosity that is valuable in this genre. In addition to giving readers a sense of what life was like in the time of Handel and for Handel himself, the author essentially presents the answer to a more interesting question, “Why did Handel’s Messiah premiere in Dublin instead of London, where Handel resided?” In my opinion, she clearly honors historical accuracy and detail while taking numerous liberties in the interests of engaging the reader in an intimate narrative. She deftly addresses the ambiguous nature of Handel’s personal life and sexuality by surrounding him with persons who raise questions for us, but the author does not wildly speculate or presume to define the private life of the esteemed composer. She exercises subtlety in a number of other regards as well. In the name of the protagonist, Harry Walsh, Vernon neatly references Handel’s publisher, John Walsh. She even includes an incarnation of mythical Timon with a nod to both classical art and Shakespeare.
I particularly enjoyed the story’s delightfully nuanced secondary characters, a Shakespearean range of personalities, dialects, and rhythms. Their dialogue is blessed with both depth and hilarity. For this reason, I recommend listening to the audio book while reading the story. “Messiah” serves up an abundance of fabulous British slang of the period. The context and tone of the writing successfully convey the general meaning of the unfamiliar words, and I would have enjoyed reading the book by itself. Having said that, however, I am so glad that I didn’t just read the book. The audio book is a rare gem to anyone who appreciates the theatre. It is a luxury to listen to British actor David Shaughnessy narrate and channel the entire cast of characters. It’s much like enjoying a Merchant Ivory film. To those with a theatre background, it might be reminiscent of John Barton’s Playing Shakespeare series, which is to say that David Shaughnessy’s rendering of the range of characters is a gift. Don’t miss it. Without the audio, I’m certain I would have missed out on the rich diversity of characters’ personalities and voices, nuances in the dialogue, as well as the juicy sound and intended meaning of 18th century British slang.
This “Messiah” presents artistic, political, and cultural history in a most approachable form, honors the depth and breadth of the period, and identifies more than a few issues that resonate across time.
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