This book explores a paradox: how can a musical work that was written specifically for a certain architectural space -survive- dramatic changes in performance conditions, as in the case of Handel s Messiah? From the chamber music hall in Dublin where it was first performed in 1742, small baroque theaters, and the chapel of London s Foundling Hospital, performances of Messiah after Handel s death moved to cathedrals, to new and large 19th-century concert halls, and finally to the immense Crystal Palace in Sydenham. Are there boundaries determining an adequate performance? How can...