Charles Jennens

Charles Jennens (* 1700 or 1701 in Leicestershire, † November 20, 1773 ) was an English landowner, patron and librettist.

Life

His grandfather operated several large iron manufactories and beforstete forest land that supplied the melts with firewood. Charles Jennens grew up on Gopsall, which he maintained throughout his life as a principal residence. There, however, remained until 1747, not he, but his father was the master of the house, by which he suffered occasionally, as is evident from his letter correspondence.

Work

Jennens was known for his compilation of the texts for the known oratorios Saul ( 1738), L' Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato (1740 ), Messiah (1741 ) and Belshazzar (1744) by Georg Friedrich Händel. Not backed up is his authorship of the texts to Israel in Egypt ( 1738).