| Oratorios by George Frideric Handel |
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Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno (1707) |
Messiah (HWV 56) is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel based on a libretto by Charles Jennens. The Triumph of Time and Truth is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel which has seen three iterations across 50 years of Handel's career The Brockes Passion, or "Der für die Sünde der Welt gemarterte und sterbende Jesus" is a German Oratorio Libretto by Barthold Esther ( HWV 50 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel and is generally acknowledged to be the first English oratorio For the Lully opera please see Acis et Galatée. Acis and Galatea ( HWV 49 was originally a Masque composed by George Frideric Esther ( HWV 50 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel and is generally acknowledged to be the first English oratorio Deborah ( HWV 51 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel. It was one of Handel's very early oratorios and was based on a Libretto Athalia ( HWV 52 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel, his third in this genre Alexander's Feast ( HWV 75 is a Choral work with music by George Frideric Handel set to a libretto by Newburgh Hamilton. The Triumph of Time and Truth is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel which has seen three iterations across 50 years of Handel's career Saul ( HWV 53 is an Oratorio in three acts written by George Frideric Handel with a libretto by Charles Jennens. Israel in Egypt ( HWV 54 is a biblical Oratorio by the composer George Frideric Handel. L'Allegro il Pensieroso ed il Moderato ( HWV 55 is a pastoral ode by George Frideric Handel based on the poetry of John Milton. Samson ( HWV 57 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel. It was based on a Libretto by Newburgh Hamilton, who based it Semele ( HWV 58 is an opera or oratorio in three acts by George Frideric Handel. Joseph ( HWV 59 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel in the summer of 1743 Hercules (HWV 60 is a music drama in three acts by George Frideric Handel. Belshazzar ( HWV 61 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel. An Occasional Oratorio ( HWV 62 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel, based upon a Libretto by Newburgh Hamilton after Judas Maccabaeus ( HWV 63 is an Oratorio in three acts by George Frideric Handel. Joshua ( HWV 64 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel. It was composed in a month between 19 July 1747 and 19 Alexander Balus (HWV 65 is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel. Susanna ( HWV 66 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel. The Libretto is questionably attributed to Newburgh Hamilton Solomon ( HWV 67 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel. Its libretto is based on the biblical stories of wise king Solomon and Theodora ( HWV 68 is an Oratorio in three acts by George Frideric Handel, set to an English libretto by Thomas Morell. The Choice of Hercules ( HWV 69 is an Oratorio in one act (three scenes by George Frideric Handel. Jephtha (HWV 70 is an Oratorio ( 1751) by Handel with a libretto by the Rev The Triumph of Time and Truth is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel which has seen three iterations across 50 years of Handel's career The Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis (abbreviated as HWV) is the Catalogue of Handel's Works. An oratorio is a large Musical composition including an Orchestra, a Choir, and soloists The oratorio was somewhat modeled after the Opera Charles Jennens (1700 – 20 November 1773) was an English landowner and patron of the arts who assembled the text for five of Handel's Composed in the summer of 1741 and premiered in Dublin on the 13 April 1742, Messiah is Handel's most famous creation and is among the most popular works in Western choral literature. Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 1742 ( MDCCXLII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The very well-known "Hallelujah" chorus is part of Handel's Messiah. Messiah ( HWV 56 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel based on a Libretto by Charles Jennens.
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Overview
The name of the oratorio is taken from Judaism and Christianity's concept of the Messiah ("the anointed one"). Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions In Christianity, the Messiah is Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The work is a presentation of Jesus' life and its significance according to Christian doctrine.
Although the work was conceived and first performed for secular theatre during Lent it has become common practice since Handel's death to perform the Messiah oratorio during Advent, the preparatory period of the Christmas season, rather than in Lent or at Easter. Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. Advent (from the Latin word la ''adventus'' meaning "coming" is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the Messiah is often performed in churches as well as in concert halls. Christmas concerts often feature only the first section of Messiah plus the "Hallelujah" chorus, although some ensembles feature the entire work as a Christmas concert. The work is also heard at Eastertide, and selections containing resurrection themes are often included in Easter services.
The work is divided into three parts which address specific events in the life of Christ. Part One is primarily concerned with the Advent and Christmas stories. Part Two chronicles Christ's passion, resurrection, ascension, and the evangelization to the world of the Christian message. Part Three is based primarily upon the events chronicled in The Revelation to St. John. Although Messiah deals with the New Testament story of Christ's life a majority of the texts used to tell the story were selected from the Old Testament prophetic books of Isaiah, as well as Hagaii, Malachi, and others.
The soprano aria "I know that my Redeemer liveth" is frequently heard at Christian funerals. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. This article is about the musical term "aria" For other meanings or uses of the word see Aria (disambiguation. A funeral is a Ceremony marking a person's Death. Funerary customs comprise the complex of Beliefs and practices used by a Culture to remember It is believed that parts of this aria have been the basis of the composition of the Westminster Quarters. Description The melody consists of five different Permutations of four pitches which can be played in any key [1] Above Handel's grave in Westminster Abbey is a monument (1762) where the musician's statue holds the musical score of the same aria. [2]
Although Handel called his oratorio simply Messiah (without the "The"), the work is also widely but incorrectly referred to as The Messiah.
Composition and premiere
In the summer of 1741 Handel, at the peak of his musical prowess but depressed and in debt, began setting Charles Jennens' Biblical libretto to music at his usual breakneck speed. Year 1741 ( MDCCXLI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Charles Jennens (1700 – 20 November 1773) was an English landowner and patron of the arts who assembled the text for five of Handel's In just 24 days, Messiah was complete. Like many of Handel's compositions, it borrows liberally from earlier works, both his own and those of others. Tradition has it that Handel wrote the piece while staying as a guest at Jennens' country house (Gopsall Hall) in Leicestershire, England, although no evidence exists to confirm this. Gopsall (or Gopsall Park is an area of Crown Estate land in North West Leicestershire, England. Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland [3] It is thought that the work was completed inside a garden temple, the ruins of which have been preserved and can be visited. [4]
It was premiered during the following season, in the spring of 1742, as part of a series of charity concerts in Neal's Music Hall on Fishamble Street near Dublin's Temple Bar district. Year 1742 ( MDCCXLII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Temple Bar (Barra an Teampaill is an area on the south bank of the River Liffey in central Dublin, Ireland. Right up to the day of the premiere, Messiah was troubled by production difficulties and last-minute rearrangements of the score, and the Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Jonathan Swift, placed some pressure on the premiere and had it cancelled entirely for a period. A dean, in a church context is a Cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, formally known as The National Cathedral and Collegiate Church of Saint Patrick Dublin or in the Irish language Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 He demanded that it be retitled A Sacred Oratorio and that revenue from the concert be promised to local hospitals for the mentally ill. The premiere happened on 13 April at the Music Hall in Dublin, and Handel led the performance from the harpsichord with Matthew Dubourg conducting the orchestra. Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople A harpsichord is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. Matthew Dubourg (1707&ndash1767 was an Irish Violinist, conductor, and Composer. Dubourg was an Irish violinist, conductor and composer. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member Conducting is the act of directing a Musical performance by way of visible gestures A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance He had worked with Handel as early as 1719 in London. Year 1719 ( MDCCXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a
Handel conducted Messiah many times and, as was his custom, often altered the music to suit the needs of the singers and orchestra he had available to him for each performance. In consequence, no single version can be regarded as the "authentic" one. Many more variations and rearrangements were added in subsequent centuries—a notable arrangement was one by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart[5], translated into German. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages.
Messiah is scored for SATB soloists, SATB chorus, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo. SATB is a frequent initialism for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, bass, referring to a common scoring for choruses and choirs The Mozart arrangement expands the orchestra to 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings, and organ. In 1959, Sir Thomas Beecham conducted a special arrangement for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra which expands the instrumentation to 3 flutes (one doubling on piccolo), 4 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 bassoons, 1 contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, and strings. Sir Thomas Beecham 2nd Baronet, CH (29 April 1879 &ndash 8 March 1961 was a British conductor and Impresario.
Texts and structure
The libretto was compiled by Charles Jennens and consists of fragments of verses mainly from the King James Bible. Charles Jennens (1700 – 20 November 1773) was an English landowner and patron of the arts who assembled the text for five of Handel's The selections from the book of Psalms are from the Great Bible, the version contained in the Book of Common Prayer. The Great Bible was the first authorized edition of the Bible in English authorized by King Henry VIII of England to be read aloud in the church services of the The Book of Common Prayer is the common title of a number of prayer books of the Church of England and used throughout the Anglican Communion. Jennens conceived of the work as an oratorio in three parts (or acts), each comprising several scenes:[6]
- Part I: The Birth
- Scene 1: The prophecy of Salvation
- Scene 2: The prophecy of the coming of the Messiah
- Scene 3: Portents to the world at large
- Scene 4: Prophecy of the Virgin Birth
- Scene 5: The appearance of the Angel to the shepherds
- Scene 6: Christ's miracles
- Part II: The Passion
- Scene 1: The sacrifice, the scourging and agony on the cross
- Scene 2: His death, His passing through Hell, and His resurrection
- Scene 3: His Ascension
- Scene 4: God discloses His identity in Heaven
- Scene 5: The beginning of evangelism
- Scene 6: The world and its rulers reject the Gospel
- Scene 7: God's triumph
- Part III: The Aftermath
- Scene 1: The promise of redemption from Adam's fall
- Scene 2: Judgment Day
- Scene 3: The victory over death and sin
- Scene 4: The glorification of Christ
Much of the libretto comes from the Old Testament. In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of The virgin birth of Jesus is a religious Tenet of Christianity and Islam which holds that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation This article describes the Christian Passion For other meanings see Passion. Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering Within the body of Christian beliefs the resurrection of Jesus is a core event on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend The general and most common understanding of the Christian Doctrine of Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven in the presence God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond See also Adam and Eve Adam ( Hebrew: אָדָם was according to a literal interpretation of Genesis, the first man created by In Christian eschatology, the Last Judgment or Day of the Lord is the judgment by God of every human who ever lived A libretto is the text used in an extended Musical work such as an Opera, Operetta, Masque, sacred or secular Oratorio and The term Hebrew Bible is a generic reference to those books of the Bible originally written in Biblical Hebrew (and the related Biblical Aramaic The first section draws heavily from the book of Isaiah, which prophesies the coming of the Messiah. The Book of Isaiah ( Hebrew: Sefer Y'sha'yah ספר ישעיה is a book of the Bible traditionally attributed to the Prophet Isaiah, who lived There are few quotations from the Gospels; these are at the end of the first and the beginning of the second sections. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament They comprise the Angel going to the shepherds in Luke, two enigmatic quotations from Matthew, and one from John: "Behold the Lamb of God". The Gospel of Luke (Gk Κατά Λουκάν Ευαγγέλιον) is a synoptic Gospel, and is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon The rest of the second section is composed of prophecies from Isaiah and quotations from the evangelists. The third section includes one quotation from Job ("I know that my Redeemer liveth"), the rest primarily from First Corinthians. The Book of Job ( איוב) is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament.
Interesting, too, is the interpolation of choruses from the New Testament's Revelation. The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John ( pronounced, from the Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου The well-known "Hallelujah" chorus at the end of Part II and the finale chorus "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain" ("Amen") are both taken from Revelation. The word Amen (; آمين, ’Āmīn; "So be it truly" Its use in Judaism dates back to its earliest texts
While performances of Messiah are most common during the Christmas season, it should be noted that the complete text of the work relates to both the Christmas (Part I - "the Birth") and Easter (Part II - "the Passion") seasons of the Christian calendar. "Christmas season" redirects here For other uses see Christmas season (disambiguation. Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. It is interesting to note that the "Hallelujah" chorus, often associated with the Christmas season, is found in the middle of Parts II and III -- the "Easter" section. Because of the popularity of this association, it is common for Advent performances to include the first 17 numbers of the work and then follow immediately with the No. 44 "Hallelujah" chorus as a finale.
Text-painting
Handel is famous for employing text painting -- the musical technique of having the melody mimic its lyrics -- in many of his works. Word painting (also known as tone painting or text painting) is the musical technique of having the music mimic the literal meaning of a song In Music, a melody (from Greek μελῳδία - melōidía, "singing chanting" also tune, voice, or Lyrics (in singular form Lyric) are a set of words that accompany music either by speaking or singing Perhaps the most famous and oft-quoted example of the technique is in Every valley shall be exalted, the tenor aria early in Part I of Messiah. The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice This article is about the musical term "aria" For other meanings or uses of the word see Aria (disambiguation. On the lyric ". . . and every mountain and hill made low; the crooked straight and the rough places plain", Handel composes it thus:
The notes climb to the high F♯ on the first syllable of mountain to drop an octave on the second syllable. In Music, an octave ( is the the use of which is "common in most musical systems The four notes on the word hill form a small hill, and the word low descends to the lowest note of the phrase. On crooked, the melody twice alternates between C♯ and B to rest on the B for two beats through the word straight. The word plain is written, for the most part, on the high E for three measures, with some minor deviation. He applies the same strategy throughout the repetition of the final phrase: the crookeds being crooked and plain descending on three lengthy planes. He uses this technique frequently throughout the rest of the aria, specifically on the word exalted, which contains several sixteenth note (semiquaver) melismas and two leaps to a high E:[7]
As was common in English-language poetry at the time, the suffix -ed of the past tense and past participle of weak verbs was often pronounced as a separate syllable as in this passage from And the glory of the Lord:
The word revealed would thus be pronounced in three syllables: [rɪˈviːlɛd]. In Music, a sixteenth note (American or "German" terminology or semiquaver (also occasionally demiquaver, British or "classical" Melisma, in music is singing a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession In many published editions, an e that is silent in speech but is to be sung as a separate syllable is marked with a grave accent, thus: revealèd.
It should, however, be noted that though Messiah is often pointed at as being rife with examples of text painting, Handel was particularly fond of plagiarizing himself and some of the arias and choruses in Messiah are taken directly from material he originally penned in other works (for example the Arcadian Duets). Thus the argument for text painting loses much of its validity because the music was originally composed with different texts set over it, and in many cases in languages other than English.
Hallelujah
The most famous movement is the "Hallelujah" chorus, which concludes the second of the three parts. The text is drawn from three passages in the New Testament book of Revelation:
- And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John ( pronounced, from the Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου (Revelation 19:6)
- And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)
- And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:16)
In many parts of the world, it is the accepted practice for the audience to stand for this section of the performance. Tradition has it that King George II rose to his feet at this point. George II (George Augustus 10 November 1683 &ndash 25 October 1760 was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg ( As the first notes of the triumphant Hallelujah Chorus rang out, the king rose. Royal protocol has always demanded that whenever the monarch stands, so does everyone in the monarch's presence. Thus, the entire audience stood too, initiating a tradition that has lasted more than two centuries. It is lost to history the exact reason why the King stood at that point, but the most popular explanations include:
- As was and is the custom, one stands in the presence of royalty as a sign of respect. The Hallelujah chorus clearly places Christ as the King of Kings. In standing, King George II accepts that he too is subject to Lord of Lords.
- He was so moved by the performance that he rose to his feet.
- He arrived late to the performance, and the crowd rose when he finally made an appearance. [8]
- His gout acted up at that precise moment and he rose to relieve the discomfort. Gout (also called metabolic arthritis) is a disease created by a buildup of Uric acid.
- After an hour of musical performance, he needed to stretch his legs. [9]
There is a story told (perhaps apocryphally) that Handel's assistant walked in to Handel's room after shouting to him for several minutes with no response. The assistant reportedly found Handel in tears, and when asked what was wrong, Handel held up the score to this movement and said, "I have seen the face of God".
Because this piece is so often heard separately from the rest of Messiah, it has become popularly known as "The Hallelujah Chorus", which, like "The Messiah", is not entirely correct usage. "(the) Hallelujah chorus" or "'Hallelujah' chorus from Messiah" is more appropriate.
Critical editions
As with most established baroque repertoire, the Messiah is usually performed in one of a number of critical editions. Notable editors include:
See also
References
- ^ societymusictheory.org see note (16) "The fame of these chimes is such that its origins are well documented. Ebenezer Prout (b Oundle March 1 1835 d London December 1 1909 was an English musical theorist writer teacher and composer whose instruction afterwards embodied in a series of Harold Watkins Shaw, OBE, known as Watkins Shaw (born Bradford, Yorkshire, 3 April 1911 died Worcester, 8 Oct 1996 was a British Thomas Tertius Noble ( May 5 1867 &ndash May 4 1953) was an English -born Organist and Composer, resident in A Scratch Messiah (also known as a People's Messiah) is an unrehearsed informal performance of Handel's Messiah. The composer William Crotch (1775-1847), while a student at Cambridge in 1794, was asked to write a chime tune for a new clock at the university. He took the fifth and sixth measures of Handel's "I know that my Redeemer liveth" from Messiah as his inspiration, and--considering them somewhat as a designer of a change-ringing method--produced four sets of permutations on the four bells {G,C,D,E}".
- ^ People Buried or Commemorated - George Frederic Handel
- ^ Article on Messiah from "The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 43, No. 717 (November 1, 1902), pp. 713-718" indicates that no letters or other evidence is extant for the period from April of 1741 until the dated autograph score. Article available via JSTOR, with the relevant section contained in the preview.
- ^ Heritage leaflet produced by Hinckley and Bosworth Council (available on their website) states that Handel closeted himself inside the Temple for 3 weeks in August/September 1741 to write his masterpiece “The Messiah”, when staying as a guest of Charles Jennens. The estate was then held by Charles’ grandfather, Humphrey Jennens, a rich iron founder.
- ^ Classical Net - Handel - Messiah Arranged by Mozart
- ^ Vickers, David. Messiah. Messiah, A Sacred Oratorio
- ^ Handel's 'Messiah' is a triumphant example of 'word painting' December 19, 2006
- ^ [1] Nearly all who mentioned the origin of the tradition were happy with the idea that it began with King George II who stood during the chorus at an early London performance. Some were explicit about it being the first London performance at Covent Garden, one quoting the entry in the Oxford Companion to Music (10th Ed). Others raised questions as to the reality of the King having stood at all - indeed, one referred to Burrows's book "Handel : Messiah" (Cambridge Music Handbooks) in which the King's presence at the performance is even questioned - there is no official record of his presence, but he could have been there in a private capacity. One reply referred to a letter, dated 1780, from one James Beattie as being the first written account of the King standing. Beattie appears not to have claimed his own presence at the performance - and so we are probably still dealing with hearsay.
- ^ [2] Whatever truth there is in the origin of the tradition resting with King George II, there is no shortage of speculation on what might have prompted him to stand. The King's late arrival, stretching his legs, relieving his gout, the need for the bathroom, being woken by the chorus's forte opening, the King's own sense of reverence - all these, and others, figured in the responses.
- Erhardt, T. J. : Händels Messiah. Text, Musik, Theologie, Comes Verlag, Bad Reichenhall 2007, ISBN 9783888205002.
External links
- Full text of Jennens' libretto hosted by Stanford University. Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University or simply Stanford, is a private Research university located in
- Handel's Messiah Through the Centuries
- Free scores of this work in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Leaflet detailing the place in Leicestershire where Handel composed the Messiah
- Handel House Museum website
- Program notes by Boston Cecilia. The Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL is a Sheet music archive which focuses on choral and vocal Music in the Public domain. The Boston Cecilia is a Choral society in Boston, Massachusetts, which is in its 132nd season
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