Freakonomics Radio Episode 656: "How Handel Got His Mojo Back"

Date: December 12, 2025
Host: Stephen J. Dubner
Key Guests: Philip Rushforth, Mark Reisinger, Ellen Harris, Charles King, Chris Scobie, Pronshius Odin

OVERVIEW

This episode explores the dramatic turnaround in George Frideric Handel’s life and career, focusing on the creation and debut of Messiah in Dublin after a tumultuous period of artistic, financial, and personal struggle. Through visits to historic locations, conversations with musicians, musicologists, and historians, host Stephen Dubner uncovers the hidden economic, personal, and creative dynamics that led to one of the most celebrated choral works in history. The story unfolds as part biography and part detective work, illuminating the ways in which innovation, risk-taking, and resilience brought Handel "his mojo back."

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. The Setting: Handel’s Difficult Journey to Dublin

[00:00 – 07:32]

• Handel’s Messiah premiered in Dublin, an unexpected choice given his stature in London; financial incentives and a charity commission drew him.
• Handel's trip was fraught with delays and discomfort, notably a weather-induced layover in Chester, England.
• In Chester, local legend holds that Handel rehearsed his budding oratorio in a chapel, battling humorous choir mishaps.

Notable Quote:
Handel to a struggling chorister:

“You told me you could sing at sight.”

“I can indeed, sir, but not at first sight.”
– Philip Rushforth retelling the story [04:13]

2. Handel’s Musical Roots and Cosmopolitan Influences

[07:32 – 15:20]

• Born in Halle, Germany, Handel was a near-contemporary of Bach but followed a different, entrepreneurial path.
• Early exposure in a commercial musical city, informal opposition from his barber-surgeon father, and mentorship under Zachow set the stage.
• Key influences include late-teen years in Hamburg's opera scene and formative years in Italy, where he absorbed courtly rivalry and audience-centered composition.
• Success in Italy led to viewing music as both entertainment and social prestige, fueling his later innovations.

Notable Quote:

“Scarlatti, one of his contemporaries, would always make the sign of the cross whenever Handel's name was mentioned.”
– Charles King [06:39]

3. Entrepreneurship & Economics of Opera in 18th-Century London

[13:32 – 16:10; 20:26 – 29:06]

• In London, Handel was central to the explosion of theater and opera in the West End.
• Founded the Royal Academy of Music (an early “joint stock” opera company), supported by royal patronage and private investment.
• Handled the business intricacies of show production, dealing with costly and temperamental Italian singers, elaborate stage sets, and fierce competition.
• Copying and “recycling” music (including his own) was not only common but astutely advantageous.

Notable Anecdote:
Handel’s retort to a tenor who threatened to jump into the harpsichord if forced to sing an aria:

“Please let me know ahead of time because I will advertise it. More people will come to see you jump than will come to hear you sing.”
– Ellen Harris recounting [29:39]

4. Financial Downturn and Recovery

[29:06 – 34:25]

• Handel’s opera ventures became unsustainable; he lost both annuity and cash savings, and by 1738 was destitute, with mounting health issues.
• With opera’s decline, he traveled to Dublin, nearly broke but carrying the score for Messiah, describing this journey as a chance to escape meddlesome London opera politics.

Notable Statistic:

“He had £50 left. He withdrew that and he had nothing.”
– Ellen Harris [32:03]

5. Composing and Staging Messiah

[37:21 – 49:38]

• Handel composed Messiah in a white heat of inspiration over about three weeks, working primarily at a keyboard and often improvising.
• Made practical choices about vocal casting, using available local singers and adjusting the scale of his compositions.
• Dublin received Messiah with "astonishment and wonder," a sharp contrast to the reserved initial reactions in London.

Notable Quote:

“Someone who was present at the first performance said it was a species of music like no other. People were just kind of flabbergasted by it.”
– Charles King [49:01]

6. Dublin: The Turning Point

[50:10 – 53:43]

• The positive reception in Dublin restored Handel’s confidence and, crucially, his finances. He returned to London with new funds and energy, shifting his focus toward English language oratorios, which were less costly to produce and increasingly popular.
• Handel’s financial records show a dramatic turnaround post-Dublin.

Notable Quote:

“We gave him back his…mojo.”
– Pronshius Odin, Irish conductor [50:16]

7. Charity and Legacy: The Foundling Hospital Concerts

[53:55 – 58:17]

• The Messiah became most associated with annual charity performances at the Foundling Hospital, offering both fundraising and artistic prestige.
• Handel conducted many of these himself, making his work central to London’s cultural and philanthropic life.

Notable Quote:

“The Foundling Hospital ... had become arguably the most well known family oriented charity in Britain.”
– Charles King [57:26]

8. Late-Life Triumph, Continued Evolution, and Enduring Impact

[58:17 – 60:33]

• Messiah did not achieve iconic status in London right away, but as a charity piece, it gained increasing prominence and financial success for Handel in his later years.
• Handel’s story parallels the themes of redemption, rebirth, and hope embedded in Messiah itself.

Notable Reflection:

“We never know what we do right now, how it's going to affect what happens tomorrow ... And that, in a way, is also written into Messiah.”
– Charles King [59:08]

MEMORABLE MOMENTS & QUOTES (with timestamps)

• [04:13] Handel, rebuking a choir member:
  “You told me you could sing at sight.”

  • Jansen: “I can indeed, sir, but not at first sight.”

• [11:36] On the value of being discovered:
  “It reminded me of those stories you used to hear about Hollywood, like Lana Turner being discovered in a coffee shop...”
  – Charles King

• [23:12] Describing Handel:
  "He's tall, unusually tall for the age...He was very genial with friends, but a curmudgeon frequently in regard to his music."
  – Ellen Harris

• [29:39] Handel's wit with singers:
  “Please let me know ahead of time because I will advertise it. More people will come to see you jump than will come to hear you sing.”
  – Ellen Harris

• [50:16] On the Dublin revival:
  “We gave him back his...mojo.”
  – Pronshius Odin

• [59:08] On the unpredictability of legacy:
  “Handel had no idea that the thing that he composed in 24 days in August and September of 17, 1941, was going to be the reason we’re now in 2025 talking about him.”
  – Charles King

• [62:50] On the structure of Messiah:
  “Oh, bitch, no you don’t. You don’t end Messiah with the Hallelujah Chorus. That’s the end of part two...”
  – Ellen Harris

IMPORTANT SEGMENTS & TIMESTAMPS

• [02:52] – Philip Rushforth introduces Handel's Chester stopover.
• [13:40] – The founding of the Royal Academy and London’s musical climate.
• [20:26] – Ellen Harris's personal connection to Messiah and emotional impact.
• [29:06] – Handel's finances and the economics of opera productions.
• [32:56] – Handel’s financial bottoming out.
• [33:00] – Handel’s health crisis and decision to leave for Dublin.
• [37:21] – Ellen Harris on the overlooked choruses in Messiah.
• [39:13] – Touring Handel's original manuscript in the British Library.
• [45:27] – How Handel composed and revised Messiah’s score.
• [46:32] – Susannah Cibber’s recruitment and the dramatic qualities of Messiah arias.
• [48:33] – Dublin’s excitement and constraints for Messiah's premiere.
• [49:01] – Charles King on the public’s wonder at Messiah.
• [50:10] – The trip to Dublin as salvation for Handel’s spirit and finances.
• [52:50] – Handel’s shift to English oratorios as a business move.
• [53:55] – Messiah’s growing charitable and public importance in London.
• [59:08] – Reflections on the nature of creative legacies.

TONE & LANGUAGE

• Conversational, anecdotal, and often punctuated with humor and warmth.
• Speakers oscillate between scholarly insight and playful storytelling, maintaining accessibility for non-experts while offering depth for classical music fans.
• Frequent use of musical, financial, and historical terminology but always explained for the lay listener.

CONCLUSION

Episode 656 provides a rich, multi-dimensional look at Handel’s midlife crisis and his resurrection—professionally, artistically, and financially—through Messiah. The episode reveals the personal and economic struggles behind a universally beloved masterpiece, and how creativity, adaptability, and good fortune can coalesce at unexpected moments to reshape an artist’s legacy.

For further details, listen to the full episode or access the transcript at Freakonomics.com.