Sir Thomas Beecham was championing Handel before it was cool.

At a time when most people’s knowledge of the composer’s large-scale vocal works began and ended with “Messiah,” Beecham was dipping into the operas and polishing up the oratorios for the delectation of a new age. He defended these curations and modifications, stating that “without some effort along these lines, the greater portion of [Handel’s] magnificent output will remain unplayed, possibly to the satisfaction of drowsy armchair purists, but hardly to the advantage of the keenly alive and enquiring concertgoer.”

Experience the vitality of Beecham’s beautiful Handel realizations this week on “The Lost Chord.” That’s “Handeling Beecham,” this Sunday night at 10:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.