The Messiah of the Swedish composer Sven-David Sandstrom was commissioned by the Oregon Bach Festival and the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart. In accordance with the wishes of these two institutions, the work is based on Charles Jennens’ English libretto which Handel had set more than 260 years ago. This Messiah of the 21st century is characterized by great expressivity and orchestral color. For Sandström modernity and beautiful sound are not contradictory – this correspondes to his artistic credo: “My music should be accessible on first hearing and should touch people.”
