Handel's "Susanna" & "Theodora" ones of these weren't quite as popular as the "Messiah"
In those early days, when these genres 
were taking form, they weren't called operas or .... Susanna (1748) [DOC] [TLE] Handel & Haydn Society: Pre-Concert Conversation - TranscriptDB [PAR] This a very special concert tonight, featuring the famous Handel.