Handel - Messiah, HWV 56: Part II: He was despised

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) Messiah, HWV 56: Part II: He was despised Composed in 1741; premiered in 1742 in Dublin Performed by Aafje Heynis (1924-2015), contralto, with the Wiener Symphoniker, conducted by Hans Gillesberger (1909-1986) Recorded April 1961 in Vienna “He was despised” is one of the most famous alto arias in Handel’s Messiah. The aria forms the emotional core of Part II, setting text from the Book of Isaiah (53:3) that foretells Christ's suffering. It premiered on April 13, 1742, in Dublin, sung by the contralto Susannah Maria Cibber (1714-1766). Cibber, a dramatic actress who was not a trained opera singer, delivered a rendering so moving that the Reverend Patrick Delany (1685-1768) reputedly rose in the audience and exclaimed, "Woman, for this be all thy sins forgiven thee!"