George handel music hallelujah

1741 sacred oratorio by Handel

Messiah
Title page of Handel's autograph score
Text	Charles Jennens, from leadership King James Bible and say publicly Book of Common Prayer
Language	English
Composed	22 August 1741 (1741-08-22) – 14 September 1741 (1741-09-14): London
Movements	53 in three parts
Vocal	SATB choir captain solo
Instrumental	2 trumpets timpani 2 oboes 2 violins viola basso continuo

Messiah (HWV 56)^{[1][n 1]} is characteristic English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel.

Authority text was compiled from prestige King James Bible and goodness Coverdale Psalter^{[n 2]} by River Jennens. It was first unabridged in Dublin on 13 Apr 1742 and received its Writer premiere a year later. Care for an initially modest public response, the oratorio gained in pervasiveness, eventually becoming one of excellence best-known and most frequently unabridged choral works in Western air.

Handel's reputation in England, he had lived since 1712, had been established through diadem compositions of Italian opera. Lighten up turned to English oratorio pound the 1730s in response skill changes in public taste; Messiah was his sixth work guaranteed this genre. Although its configuration resembles that of opera, on your toes is not in dramatic form; there are no impersonations lay into characters and no direct discourse.

Instead, Jennens's text is resolve extended reflection on Jesus in that the Messiah called Christ. Magnanimity text begins in Part Rabid with prophecies by Isaiah current others, and moves to significance annunciation to the shepherds, goodness only "scene" taken from rank Gospels. In Part II, Composer concentrates on the Passion tinge Jesus and ends with loftiness Hallelujah chorus.

In Part Tierce, he covers Paul's teachings motion the resurrection of the breed and Christ's glorification in zion eden.

Handel wrote Messiah for unpresuming vocal and instrumental forces, gather optional alternate settings for patronize of the individual numbers. Select by ballot the years after his infect, the work was adapted pick up performance on a much greater scale, with giant orchestras prep added to choirs.

In other efforts know update it, its orchestration was revised and amplified, such likewise Mozart's Der Messias. In authority late 20th and early Twentyfirst centuries, the trend has back number towards reproducing a greater nicety to Handel's original intentions, granted "big Messiah" productions continue border on be mounted.

A near-complete swap was issued on 78 rpm discs in 1928; since then significance work has been recorded haunt times.

The autograph manuscript catch the fancy of the oratorio is preserved meticulous the British Library.

Background

The doer George Frideric Handel, born always Halle in Brandenburg-Prussia (modern Germany) in 1685, took up preset residence in London in 1712, and became a naturalised Nation subject in 1727.^[3] By 1741 his pre-eminence in British harmony was evident from the awards he had accumulated, including a-okay pension from the court disruption King George II, the labour of Composer of Musick in lieu of the Chapel Royal, and—most peculiarly for a living person—a enumerate erected in his honour tight spot Vauxhall Gardens.^[4] Within a sizeable and varied musical output, Music was a vigorous champion show consideration for Italian opera, which he abstruse introduced to London in 1711 with Rinaldo.

He subsequently wrote and presented more than 40 such operas in London's theatres.^[3]

By the early 1730s public hint for Italian opera was technique to fade. The popular good of John Gay and Johann Christoph Pepusch's The Beggar's Opera (first performed in 1728) challenging heralded a spate of English-language ballad-operas that mocked the pretensions of Italian opera.^[5] With box-office receipts falling, Handel's productions were increasingly reliant on private subsidies from the nobility.

Such became harder to obtain end the launch in 1730 allround the Opera of the Influence, a rival company to reward own. Handel overcame this expostulate, but he spent large sums of his own money make happen doing so.^[6]

Although prospects for Romance opera were declining, Handel remained committed to the genre, on the contrary as alternatives to his a spectacle of works he began to make known English-language oratorios.^[7] In Rome burst 1707–08 he had written pair Italian oratorios at a repel when opera performances in interpretation city were temporarily forbidden governed by papal decree.^[8] His first flutter into English oratorio had antique Esther, which was written pole performed for a private promoter in about 1718.^[7] In 1732 Handel brought a revised roost expanded version of Esther penalty the King's Theatre, Haymarket, ring members of the royal descent attended a glittering premiere branch 6 May.

Its success pleased Handel to write two advanced oratorios (Deborah and Athalia). Depreciation three oratorios were performed damage large and appreciative audiences adventure the Sheldonian Theatre in Town in mid-1733. Undergraduates reportedly advertise their furniture to raise nobility money for the five-shilling tickets.^[9]

In 1735 Handel received the passage for a new oratorio dubbed Saul from its librettistCharles Jennens, a wealthy landowner with harmonious and literary interests.^[10] Because Handel's main creative concern was immobilize with opera, he did wail write the music for Saul until 1738, in preparation supporting his 1738–39 theatrical season.

Influence work, after opening at depiction King's Theatre in January 1739 to a warm reception, was quickly followed by the feeble successful oratorio Israel in Egypt (which may also have draw nigh from Jennens).^[11] Although Handel prolonged to write operas, the course towards English-language productions became beside oneself as the decade ended.

Make something stand out three performances of his most recent Italian opera Deidamia in Jan and February 1741, he bad the genre.^[12] In July 1741 Jennens sent him a spanking libretto for an oratorio; seep in a letter dated 10 July to his friend Edward Holdsworth, Jennens wrote: "I hope [Handel] will lay out his full Genius & Skill upon hurried departure, that the Composition may excell all his former Compositions, trade in the Subject excells every vex subject.

The Subject is Messiah".^[13]

Synopsis

Main article: Structure of Handel's Messiah

In Christian theology, the Messiah levelheaded the saviour of humankind. Interpretation Messiah (Māšîaḥ) is an Suppress Testament Hebrew word meaning "the Anointed One", which in Additional TestamentGreek is Christ, a label given to Jesus of Town, known by his followers tempt "Jesus Christ".

Handel's Messiah has been described by the early-music scholar Richard Luckett as "a commentary on [Jesus Christ's] Genesis, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension", say again with God's promises as vocal by the prophets and denouement with Christ's glorification in heaven.^[14] In contrast with most noise Handel's oratorios, the singers scuttle Messiah do not assume brilliant roles; there is no solitary, dominant narrative voice; and notice little use is made endorse quoted speech.

In his log, Jennens's intention was not root for dramatise the life and recommendation of Jesus, but to approbation the "Mystery of Godliness",^[15] profit by a compilation of extracts overrun the Authorized (King James) Model of the Bible, and shun the Psalms included in excellence 1662 Book of Common Prayer.^[16]

The three-part structure of the outmoded approximates to that of Handel's three-act operas, with the "parts" subdivided by Jennens into "scenes".

Each scene is a mass of individual numbers or "movements" which take the form flaxen recitatives, arias and choruses.^[15] Beside are two instrumental numbers, grandeur opening Sinfony^{[n 3]} in position style of a French proffer, and the pastoralPifa, often hollered the "pastoral symphony", at character mid-point of Part I.^[18]

In Spot I, the Messiah's coming most important the virgin birth are conceivable by the Old Testament clairvoyant.

The annunciation to the shepherds of the birth of magnanimity Christ is represented in righteousness words of Luke's gospel. Class II covers Christ's passion limit his death, his resurrection concentrate on ascension, the first spreading condemn the gospel through the replica, and a definitive statement designate God's glory summarised in significance Hallelujah.

Part III begins cede the promise of redemption, followed by a prediction of significance day of judgment and rendering "general resurrection", ending with distinction final victory over sin settle down death and the acclamation star as Christ.^[19] According to the musicologist Donald Burrows, much of nobility text is so allusive trade in to be largely incomprehensible collection those ignorant of the scriptural accounts.^[15] For the benefit out-and-out his audiences Jennens printed arena issued a pamphlet explaining magnanimity reasons for his choices make out scriptural selections.^[20]

Writing history

Libretto

Charles Jennens was born around 1700, into adroit prosperous landowning family whose domain and properties in Warwickshire splendid Leicestershire he eventually inherited.^[21] Rulership religious and political views—he demurring the Act of Settlement worm your way in 1701 which secured the attainment to the British throne receive the House of Hanover—prevented him from receiving his degree dismiss Balliol College, Oxford, or shake off pursuing any form of popular career.

His family's wealth enabled him to live a beast of leisure while devoting ourselves to his literary and melodic interests.^[22] Although musicologist Watkins Clarinetist dismisses Jennens as "a vain figure of no special ability",^[23] Burrows has written: "of Jennens's musical literacy there can affront no doubt".

He was assuredly devoted to Handel's music, obtaining helped to finance the volume of every Handel score owing to Rodelinda in 1725.^[24] By 1741, after their collaboration on Saul, a warm friendship had erudite between the two, and Music was a frequent visitor interruption the Jennens family estate tackle Gopsall.^[21]

Jennens's letter to Holdsworth reproduce 10 July 1741, in which he first mentions Messiah, suggests that the text was dexterous recent work, probably assembled previously that summer.

As a godly Anglican and believer in biblical authority, Jennens intended to defy advocates of Deism, who excluded the doctrine of divine agency in human affairs.^[14] Shaw describes the text as "a contemplation of our Lord as Deliverer in Christian thought and belief", and despite his reservations crash Jennens's character, concedes that primacy finished wordbook "amounts to small short of a work characteristic genius".^[23] There is no attempt that Handel played any diagnostic role in the selection down in the mouth preparation of the text, much as he did in excellence case of Saul; it seems, rather, that he saw clumsy need to make any predominant amendment to Jennens's work.^[13]

Composition

The penalty for Messiah was completed exterior 24 days of swift combination.

Having received Jennens's text dismal time after 10 July 1741, Handel began work on be a winner on 22 August. His record office show that he had realized Part I in outline hunk 28 August, Part II prep between 6 September and Part Trio by 12 September, followed indifferent to two days of "filling up" to produce the finished job on 14 September.

This swift pace was seen by Jennens not as a sign constantly ecstatic energy but rather chimp "careless negligence", and the dealings between the two men would remain strained, since Jennens "urged Handel to make improvements" onetime the composer stubbornly refused.^[25] Description autograph score's 259 pages indicate some signs of haste specified as blots, scratchings-out, unfilled exerciser and other uncorrected errors, nevertheless according to the music schoolboy Richard Luckett the number female errors is remarkably small comport yourself a document of this length.^[26] The original manuscript for Messiah is now held in description British Library's music collection.^[27] Scenery is scored for two trumpets, timpani, two oboes, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.

At the end of his text Handel wrote the letters "SDG"—Soli Deo Gloria, "To God circumvent the glory". This inscription, hard at it with the speed of article, has encouraged belief in influence apocryphal story that Handel wrote the music in a earnestness of divine inspiration in which, as he wrote the Hallelujah chorus, "He saw all olympus before him".^[26] Burrows points lay out that many of Handel's operas of comparable length and clean to Messiah were composed interior similar timescales between theatrical seasons.

The effort of writing tolerable much music in so accordingly a time was not unconventional for Handel and his contemporaries; Handel commenced his next cantata, Samson, within a week elaborate finishing Messiah, and completed enthrone draft of this new bore in a month.^[28][29] In compliance with his practice when chirography new works, Handel adapted at hand compositions for use in Messiah, in this case drawing construct two recently completed Italian duets and one written twenty life previously.

Thus, Se tu mechanism lasci amore HWV 193 hold up 1722 became the basis manipulate "O Death, where is okay sting?"; "His yoke is easy" and "And he shall purify" were drawn from Quel fior che all'alba ride HWV 192 (July 1741), "Unto us straighten up child is born" and "All we like sheep" from Nò, di voi non vo' fidarmi HWV 189 (July 1741).^[30][31] Handel's instrumentation in the score practical often imprecise, again in pacify with contemporary convention, where interpretation use of certain instruments lecturer combinations was assumed and plain-spoken not need to be foreordained down by the composer; subsequent copyists would fill in rendering details.^[32]

Before the first performance Music made numerous revisions to sovereignty manuscript score, in part get to match the forces available joyfulness the 1742 Dublin premiere; expert is probable that his groove was not performed as in the early stages conceived in his lifetime.^[33] Halfway 1742 and 1754 he prolonged to revise and recompose feature movements, sometimes to suit blue blood the gentry requirements of particular singers.^[34] Magnanimity first published score of Messiah was issued in 1767, volume years after Handel's death, sift through this was based on to some extent early manuscripts and included nil of Handel's later revisions.^[35]

Premières

Dublin, 1742

Handel's decision to give a time of concerts in Dublin flimsy the winter of 1741–42 arose from an invitation from significance Duke of Devonshire, then bringing as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.^[36] A violinist friend of Handel's, Matthew Dubourg, was in Port as the Lord Lieutenant's bandmaster; he would look after integrity tour's orchestral requirements.^[37] Whether Music originally intended to perform Messiah in Dublin is uncertain; yes did not inform Jennens atlas any such plan, for depiction latter wrote to Holdsworth celebrate 2 December 1741: "…it was some mortification to me resting on hear that instead of effecting Messiah here he has descend into Ireland with it."^[38] Back arriving in Dublin on 18 November 1741, Handel arranged adroit subscription series of six concerts, to be held between Dec 1741 and February 1742 look the Great Music Hall, Fishamble Street.

The venue had anachronistic built in 1741 specifically collide with accommodate concerts for the enchant of The Charitable and Euphonic Society for the Release assiduousness Imprisoned Debtors, a charity be selected for whom Handel had agreed comprise perform one benefit performance. These concerts were so popular put off a second series was gaudy arranged; Messiah figured in neither series.^[36]

In early March Handel began discussions with the appropriate committees for a charity concert, call on be given in April, mass which he intended to accumulate Messiah.

He sought and was given permission from St Patrick's and Christ Church cathedrals have round use their choirs for that occasion.^[40][41] These forces amounted commence sixteen men and sixteen stripling choristers; several of the rank and file were allocated solo parts. Honesty women soloists were Christina Mare Avoglio, who had sung greatness main soprano roles in honesty two subscription series, and Susannah Cibber, an established stage contestant and contralto who had song in the second series.^[41][42] Communication accommodate Cibber's vocal range, significance recitative "Then shall the seeing of the blind" and significance aria "He shall feed authority flock" were transposed down give somebody no option but to F major.^[33][43] The performance, further in the Fishamble Street appearance, was originally announced for 12 April, but was deferred funding a day "at the allure of persons of Distinction".^[36] Ethics orchestra in Dublin comprised string, two trumpets, and timpani; decency number of players is strange.

Handel had his own channel shipped to Ireland for character performances; a harpsichord was perchance also used.^[44]

The three charities make certain were to benefit were prisoners' debt relief, the Mercer's Haven, and the Charitable Infirmary.^[41] Break off its report on a habitual rehearsal, the Dublin News-Letter declared the oratorio as "…far surpass[ing] anything of that Nature which has been performed in that or any other Kingdom".^[45] Septet hundred people attended the opening night on 13 April.^[46] So walk the largest possible audience could be admitted to the harmony, gentlemen were requested to race their swords, and ladies were asked not to wear basketball in their dresses.^[41] The background earned unanimous praise from ethics assembled press: "Words are shy defective to express the exquisite satisfy it afforded to the admiring and crouded Audience".^[46] A Port clergyman, Rev.

Delaney, was deadpan overcome by Susanna Cibber's version of "He was despised" become absent-minded reportedly he leapt to empress feet and cried: "Woman, apply for this be all thy sins forgiven thee!"^{[47][n 4]} The winnings amounted to around £400, fitting out about £127 to each endowment the three nominated charities vital securing the release of 142 indebted prisoners.^[37][46]

Handel remained in Port for four months after excellence première.

He organised a next performance of Messiah on 3 June, which was announced pass for "the last Performance of Out of the closet Handel's during his Stay hub this Kingdom". In this in two shakes Messiah, which was for Handel's private financial benefit, Cibber reprised her role from the pass with flying colours performance, though Avoglio may scheme been replaced by a Wife Maclaine;^[49] details of other pitch are not recorded.^[50]

London, 1743–59

The feminine reception accorded to Messiah lecture in Dublin was not repeated foundation London.

Indeed, even the word of the performance as span "new Sacred Oratorio" drew deal with anonymous commentator to ask pretend "the Playhouse is a submissive Temple to perform it".^[51] Music introduced the work at integrity Covent Garden theatre on 23 March 1743. Avoglio and Cibber were again the chief soloists; they were joined by authority tenorJohn Beard, a veteran entrap Handel's operas, the bass Clocksmith Rheinhold and two other sopranos, Kitty Clive and Miss Edwards.^[52] The first performance was overshadowed by views expressed in magnanimity press that the work's inquiry matter was too exalted give confidence be performed in a opera house, particularly by secular singer-actresses much as Cibber and Clive.

Livestock an attempt to deflect much sensibilities, in London Handel difficult avoided the name Messiah jaunt presented the work as authority "New Sacred Oratorio".^[53] As was his custom, Handel rearranged blue blood the gentry music to suit his concert. He wrote a new lasting of "And lo, the spirit of the Lord" for Solon, never used subsequently.

He extend a tenor song for Beard: "Their sound is gone out", which had appeared in Jennens's original libretto but had grizzle demand been in the Dublin performances.^[54]

The custom of standing for dignity Hallelujah chorus originates from first-class popular belief that, at picture London premiere, King George II did so, which would put on obliged all to stand.

Almost is no convincing evidence digress the king was present, keep an eye on that he attended any significant performance of Messiah; the leading reference to the practice slap standing appears in a murder dated 1756, three years previous to Handel's death.^[55][56]

London's initially cold reception of Messiah led Music to reduce the season's all set six performances to three, added not to present the business at all in 1744—to ethics considerable annoyance of Jennens, whose relations with the composer in the interim soured.^[53] At Jennens's request, Music made several changes in probity music for the 1745 revival: "Their sound is gone out" became a choral piece, significance soprano song "Rejoice greatly" was recomposed in shortened form, prosperous the transpositions for Cibber's words were restored to their latest soprano range.^[34] Jennens wrote commerce Holdsworth on 30 August 1745: "[Handel] has made a positive Entertainment of it, though fret near so good as without fear might & ought to enjoy done.

I have with resolved difficulty made him correct labored of the grosser faults condensation the composition…" Handel directed performances at Covent Garden set up 1745, on 9 and 11 April,^[57] and then set birth work aside for four years.^[58]

The 1749 revival at Covent Manoeuvre, under the proper title observe Messiah, saw the appearance find two female soloists who were henceforth closely associated with Handel's music: Giulia Frasi and Caterina Galli.

In the following gathering these were joined by influence male altoGaetano Guadagni, for whom Handel composed new versions funding "But who may abide" existing "Thou art gone up thoughts high". The year 1750 further saw the institution of character annual charity performances of Messiah at London's Foundling Hospital, which continued until Handel's death flourishing beyond.^[59] The 1754 performance speak angrily to the hospital is the eminent for which full details discount the orchestral and vocal auxiliaries survive.

The orchestra included 15 violins, five violas, three cellos, two double basses, four bassoons, four oboes, two trumpets, team a few horns and drums. In position chorus of nineteen were scandalize trebles from the Chapel Royal; the remainder, all men, were altos, tenors and basses. Frasi, Galli and Beard led righteousness five soloists, who were needed to assist the chorus.^{[60][n 5]} For this performance the inverted Guadagni arias were restored unnoticeably the soprano voice.^[62] By 1754 Handel was severely afflicted invitation the onset of blindness, vital in 1755 he turned alter the direction of the Messiah hospital performance to his schoolboy, J.

C. Smith.^[63] He obviously resumed his duties in 1757 and may have continued thereafter.^[64] The final performance of excellence work at which Handel was present was at Covent Parkland on 6 April 1759, plane days before his death.^[63]

Later track record history

18th century

During the 1750s Messiah was performed increasingly at festivals and cathedrals throughout the country.^[65] Individual choruses and arias were occasionally extracted for use chimp anthems or motets in sanctuary services, or as concert disentangle yourself, a practice that grew notch the 19th century and has continued ever since.^[66] After Handel's death, performances were given entail Florence (1768), New York (excerpts, 1770), Hamburg (1772), and City (1777), where Mozart first heard it.^[67] For the performances stop in midsentence Handel's lifetime and in integrity decades following his death, loftiness musical forces used in rectitude Foundling Hospital performance of 1754 are thought by Burrows tell between be typical.^[68] A fashion tight spot large-scale performances began in 1784, in a series of remembrance concerts of Handel's music disposed in Westminster Abbey under primacy patronage of King George Trio.

A plaque on the Monastery wall records that "The Troop consisting of DXXV [525] put on the right track & instrumental performers was conducted by Joah Bates Esqr."^[69] Move a 1955 article, Sir Malcolm Sargent, a proponent of large-scale performances, wrote, "Mr Bates ... challenging known Handel well and reputable his wishes.

The orchestra tied up was two hundred and 50 strong, including twelve horns, dozen trumpets, six trombones and match up pairs of timpani (some forceful especially large)."^[70] In 1787 newfound performances were given at class Abbey; advertisements promised, "The Ribbon will consist of Eight c Performers".^[71]

In continental Europe, performances loom Messiah were departing from Handel's practices in a different way: his score was being drastically reorchestrated to suit contemporary tastes.

In 1786, Johann Adam Hiller presented Messiah with updated marking in Berlin Cathedral.^[72] In 1788 Hiller presented a performance carry his revision with a concert of 259 and an company of 87 strings, 10 bassoons, 11 oboes, 8 flutes, 8 horns, 4 clarinets, 4 trombones, 7 trumpets, timpani, harpsichord presentday organ.^[72] In 1789, Mozart was commissioned by Baron Gottfried camper Swieten and the Gesellschaft ring Associierten to re-orchestrate several writings actions by Handel, including Messiah (Der Messias).^{[73][n 6]} Writing for adroit small-scale performance, he eliminated honesty organ continuo, added parts pray for flutes, clarinets, trombones and horns, recomposed some passages and frozen others.

The performance took strongbox on 6 March 1789 pulse the rooms of Count Johann Esterházy, with four soloists pointer a choir of 12.^{[75][n 7]} Mozart's arrangement, with minor amendments from Hiller, was published locked in 1803, after his death.^{[n 8]} The musical scholar Moritz Hauptmann described the Mozart additions because "stucco ornaments on a sculpture temple".^[80] Mozart himself was reportedly circumspect about his changes, demand that any alterations to Handel's score should not be understood as an effort to prepare the music.^[81] Elements of that version later became familiar obstacle British audiences, incorporated into editions of the score by editors including Ebenezer Prout.^[75]

19th century

In blue blood the gentry 19th century, approaches to Music in German- and English-speaking countries diverged further.

In Leipzig overfull 1856, the musicologist Friedrich Chrysander and the literary historian Georg Gottfried Gervinus founded the Deutsche Händel-Gesellschaft with the aim frequent publishing authentic editions of indicate Handel's works.^[67] At the changeless time, performances in Britain favour the United States moved interruption from Handel's performance practice territory increasingly grandiose renditions.

Messiah was presented in New York remove 1853 with a chorus appreciate 300 and in Boston invite 1865 with more than 600.^[82][83] In Britain a "Great Music Festival" was held at ethics Crystal Palace in 1857, discharge Messiah and other Handel oratorios, with a chorus of 2,000 singers and an orchestra be in opposition to 500.^[84]

In the 1860s and 1870s ever larger forces were compacted.

Bernard Shaw, in his function as a music critic, commented, "The stale wonderment which description great chorus never fails craving elicit has already been exhausted";^[85] he later wrote, "Why, in place of of wasting huge sums exploit the multitudinous dullness of splendid Handel Festival does not celeb set up a thoroughly capable and exhaustively studied performance weekend away the Messiah in St James's Hall with a chorus illustrate twenty capable artists?

Bio

Most of us would adjust glad to hear the pointless seriously performed once before amazement die."^[86] The employment of great forces necessitated considerable augmentation get the message the orchestral parts. Many admirers of Handel believed that illustriousness composer would have made specified additions, had the appropriate works agency been available in his day.^[87] Shaw argued, largely unheeded, stray "the composer may be liberate from his friends, and dignity function of writing or batch 'additional orchestral accompaniments' exercised absorb due discretion."^[88]

One reason for authority popularity of huge-scale performances was the ubiquity of amateur hymn societies.

The conductor Sir Apostle Beecham wrote that for Cardinal years the chorus was "the national medium of musical utterance" in Britain. However, after goodness heyday of Victorian choral societies, he noted a "rapid paramount violent reaction against monumental performances ... an appeal from several ignoble that Handel should be stilted and heard as in primacy days between 1700 and 1750".^[89] At the end of rectitude century, Sir Frederick Bridge abide T.

W. Bourne pioneered revivals of Messiah in Handel's adaptation, and Bourne's work was primacy basis for further scholarly versions in the early 20th century.^[90]

20th century and beyond

Although the huge-scale oratorio tradition was perpetuated manage without such large ensembles as glory Royal Choral Society, the Synagogue Choir and the Huddersfield Hymn Society in the 20th century,^[91] there were increasing calls sect performances more faithful to Handel's conception.

At the turn racket the century, The Musical Times wrote of the "additional accompaniments" of Mozart and others, "Is it not time that trying of these 'hangers on' earthly Handel's score were sent result in their business?"^[92] In 1902, Prout produced a new edition catch the score, working from Handel's original manuscripts rather than go over the top with corrupt printed versions with errors accumulated from one edition beside another.^{[n 9]} However, Prout in motion from the assumption that span faithful reproduction of Handel's up-to-the-minute score would not be practical:

[T]he attempts made from hour to time by our dulcet societies to give Handel's medicine as he meant it walkout be given must, however fanatical the intention, and however cautious the preparation, be foredoomed cause somebody to failure from the very separate of the case.

With go bad large choral societies, additional accompaniments of some kind are swell necessity for an effective performance; and the question is war cry so much whether, as demonstrate they are to be written.^[78]

Prout continued the practice of calculation flutes, clarinets and trombones walkout Handel's orchestration, but he remodelled Handel's high trumpet parts, which Mozart had omitted (evidently by reason of playing them was a astray art by 1789).^[78] There was little dissent from Prout's dispensing, and when Chrysander's scholarly copy was published in the exact same year, it was received servilely as "a volume for rank study" rather than a accomplishment edition, being an edited copying of various of Handel's carbon versions.^[93] An authentic performance was thought impossible: The Musical Times correspondent wrote, "Handel's orchestral equipment were all (excepting the trumpet) of a coarser quality outstrip those at present in use; his harpsichords are gone sale ever ...

the places in which he performed the 'Messiah' were mere drawing-rooms when compared learn the Albert Hall, the Queen's Hall and the Crystal Palace.^[93] In Australia, The Register protested at the prospect of accomplishment a transactions by "trumpery little church choirs of 20 voices or so".^[94]

In Germany, Messiah was not advantageous often performed as in Britain;^[95] when it was given, medium-size forces were the norm.

Excel the Handel Festival held cut 1922 in Handel's native city, Halle, his choral works were given by a choir carp 163 and an orchestra racket 64.^[96] In Britain, innovative interest group and recording contributed to dissertation of Handelian performance. For explanation, in 1928, Beecham conducted spruce recording of Messiah with unaffectedly sized forces and controversially lasting tempi, although the orchestration remained far from authentic.^[97] In 1934 and 1935, the BBC make known performances of Messiah conducted alongside Adrian Boult with "a upright adherence to Handel's clear scoring."^[98] A performance with authentic make was given in Worcester Religous entity as part of the Tierce Choirs Festival in 1935.^[99] Amuse 1950 John Tobin conducted smart performance of Messiah in Affair Paul's Cathedral with the orchestral forces specified by the founder, a choir of 60, efficient countertenor alto soloist, and combined attempts at vocal elaboration footnote the printed notes, in excellence manner of Handel's day.^[100] Integrity Prout version sung with myriad voices remained popular with Island choral societies, but at illustriousness same time increasingly frequent business were given by small out of date ensembles in suitably sized venues, using authentic scoring.

Recordings facts LP and CD were predominantly of the latter type, stream the large scale Messiah came to seem old-fashioned.^[101]

The cause appreciated authentic performance was advanced smother 1965 by the publication custom a new edition of honourableness score, edited by Watkins Humorist.

In the Grove Dictionary work at Music and Musicians, David Explorer writes, "the edition at chief aroused suspicion on account regard its attempts in several modus operandi to break the crust wear out convention surrounding the work squeeze the British Isles."^[102] By magnanimity time of Shaw's death beget 1996, The Times described top edition as "now in public use".^{[103][n 10]}

Messiah remains Handel's best-known work, with performances particularly well-liked during the Advent season;^[48] script in December 1993, the penalisation critic Alex Ross refers brand that month's 21 performances decline New York alone as "numbing repetition".^[105] Against the general craze towards authenticity, the work has been staged in opera dwelling, both in London (2009) tolerate in Paris (2011).^[106] The Music score is revived from lifetime to time,^[107] and in Anglophone countries "singalong" performances with diverse hundreds of performers are popular.^[108] Although performances striving for genuineness are now usual, it stick to generally agreed that there potty never be a definitive difference of Messiah; the surviving manuscripts contain radically different settings break into many numbers, and vocal stand for instrumental ornamentation of the unavoidable notes is a matter marvel at personal judgment, even for representation most historically informed performers.^[109] Magnanimity Handel scholar Winton Dean has written:

[T]here is still masses for scholars to fight decipher, and more than ever provision conductors to decide for personally.

Indeed if they are classify prepared to grapple with description problems presented by the quantity they ought not to direct it. This applies not single to the choice of versions, but to every aspect go with baroque practice, and of road there are often no finishing answers.^[104]

Music

Organisation and numbering of movements

Main article: Structure of Handel's Messiah

The numbering of the movements shown here is in accordance secondhand goods the Novello vocal score (1959), edited by Watkins Shaw, which adapts the numbering earlier devised by Ebenezer Prout.

Other editions count the movements slightly differently; the Bärenreiter edition of 1965, for example, does not circulation the recitatives and runs breakout 1 to 47.^[110] The element into parts and scenes review based upon the 1743 word-book prepared for the first Writer performance.^[111] The scene headings absolute given as Burrows summarised probity scene headings by Jennens.^[15]

Overview

Handel's music for Messiah is gala from most of his bug oratorios by an orchestral restraint—a quality which the musicologist Soldier M.

Young observes was categorize adopted by Mozart and agitate later arrangers of the music.^[112] The work begins quietly, added instrumental and solo movements earlier the first appearance of greatness chorus, whose entry in birth low alto register is muted.^[43] A particular aspect of Handel's restraint is his limited ask for of trumpets throughout the pointless.

After their introduction in excellence Part I chorus "Glory tolerate God", apart from the in "The trumpet shall sound" they are heard only sketch Hallelujah and the final refrain "Worthy is the Lamb".^[112] Miserly is this rarity, says Youthful, that makes these brass interpolations particularly effective: "Increase them most recent the thrill is diminished".^[113] Briefing "Glory to God", Handel conspicuous the entry of the trumpets as da lontano e pass up poco piano, meaning "quietly, running off afar"; his original intention abstruse been to place the whore offstage (in disparte) at that point, to highlight the conclusion of distance.^[31][114] In this immature appearance the trumpets lack blue blood the gentry expected drum accompaniment, "a long-winded withholding of effect, leaving operate in reserve for Parts II and III" according to Luckett.^[115]

Although Messiah is not in dick particular key, Handel's tonal plan has been summarised by glory musicologist Anthony Hicks as "an aspiration towards D major", rendering key musically associated with transpire and glory.

As the cantata moves forward with various shifts in key to reflect swing in mood, D major emerges at significant points, primarily excellence "trumpet" movements with their enlightenment messages. It is the wishy-washy in which the work reaches its triumphant ending.^[116] In greatness absence of a predominant muffled, other integrating elements have archaic proposed.

For example, the musicologist Rudolf Steglich has suggested lapse Handel used the device behove the "ascending fourth" as practised unifying motif; this device get bigger noticeably occurs in the cardinal two notes of "I be familiar with that my Redeemer liveth" at an earlier time on numerous other occasions. On the other hand, Luckett finds this thesis hard to believe, and asserts that "the consistency of Messiah is a finer points of nothing more arcane already the quality of Handel's concern to his text, and depiction consistency of his musical imagination".^[117]Allan Kozinn, The New York Times music critic, finds "a worry marriage of music and text ...

From the gentle falling song assigned to the opening word choice ("Comfort ye") to the perpendicular ebullience of the Hallelujah line and the ornate celebratory differ that supports the closing "Amen", hardly a line of contents goes by that Handel does not amplify".^[118]

Part I

Main article: 1 Part I

The opening Sinfony psychiatry composed in E minor goods strings, and is Handel's greatest use in oratorio of honesty French overture form.

Jennens commented that the Sinfony contains "passages far unworthy of Handel, on the other hand much more unworthy of leadership Messiah";^[117] Handel's early biographer Physicist Burney merely found it "dry and uninteresting".^[43] A change addendum key to E major leads to the first prophecy, exempted from by the tenor whose put on the right track line in the opening recitative "Comfort ye" is entirely incoherent of the strings accompaniment.

Birth music proceeds through various level changes as the prophecies spread out, culminating in the G vital chorus "For unto us fine child is born", in which the choral exclamations (which lean an ascending fourth in "the Mighty God") are imposed slit material drawn from Handel's Romance cantata Nò, di voi non-vo'fidarmi.^[43] Such passages, says the punishment historian Donald Jay Grout, "reveal Handel the dramatist, the foolproof master of dramatic effect".^[119]

The bucolic interlude that follows begins blank the short instrumental movement, picture Pifa, which takes its nickname from the shepherd-bagpipers, or pifferari, who played their pipes wring the streets of Rome habit Christmas time.^[114] Handel wrote nobility movement in both 11-bar beam extended 32-bar forms; according pause Burrows, either will work fluky performance.^[34] The group of combine short recitatives which follow get the picture introduce the soprano soloist—although frequently the earlier aria "But who may abide" is sung jam the soprano in its inverted G minor form.^[120] The finishing recitative of this section obey in D major and heralds the affirmative chorus "Glory forth God".

The remainder of Neighbourhood I is largely carried uncongenial the soprano in B-flat, harvest what Burrows terms a unusual instance of tonal stability.^[121] Picture aria "He shall feed fillet flock" underwent several transformations wishywashy Handel, appearing at different age as a recitative, an high aria and a duet hold alto and soprano before honesty original soprano version was novel in 1754.^[43] The appropriateness female the Italian source material diplomat the setting of the sober concluding chorus "His yoke critique easy" has been questioned indifference the music scholar Sedley Actress, who calls it "a go through with a fine-tooth comb of word-painting ...

grievously out selected place", though he concedes go wool-gathering the four-part choral conclusion wreckage a stroke of genius zigzag combines beauty with dignity.^[122]

Part II

Main article: Messiah Part II

The following Part begins in G petty, a key which, in Hogwood's phrase, brings a mood nominate "tragic presentiment" to the eat humble pie sequence of Passion numbers which follows.^[47] The declamatory opening sing "Behold the Lamb of God", in fugal form, is followed by the alto solo "He was despised" in E-flat higher ranking, the longest single item slice the oratorio, in which remorseless phrases are sung unaccompanied revivify emphasise Christ's abandonment.^[47] Luckett annals Burney's description of this installment as "the highest idea pick up the tab excellence in pathetic expression finance any English song".^[123] The succeeding series of mainly short anthem movements cover Christ's Passion, Excruciation, Death and Resurrection, at cheeriness in F minor, with neat as a pin brief F major respite tag "All we like sheep".

Present-day, Handel's use of Nò, di voi non-vo'fidarmi has Sedley Taylor's unqualified approval: "[Handel] bids glory voices enter in solemn statutory sequence, and his chorus surplus with a combination of class and depth of feeling specified as is at the imperative of consummate genius only".^[124]

The impact of desolation returns, in what Hogwood calls the "remote trip barbarous" key of B-flat smaller, for the tenor recitative "All they that see him".^[47][125] Honourableness sombre sequence finally ends be smitten by the Ascension chorus "Lift no-win situation your heads", which Handel originally divides between two choral accumulations, the altos serving both variety the bass line to a- soprano choir and the manifold line to the tenors put up with basses.^[126] For the 1754 Orphan Hospital performance Handel added several horns, which join in conj at the time that the chorus unites towards honourableness end of the number.^[47] Subsequently the celebratory tone of Christ's reception into heaven, marked tough the choir's D major ceremony "Let all the angels spick and span God worship him", the "Whitsun" section proceeds through a additional room of contrasting moods—serene and bucolic in "How beautiful are illustriousness feet", theatrically operatic in "Why do the nations so passionately rage"—towards the Part II conclusion of Hallelujah.

The Hallelujah company, as Young points out, silt not the climactic chorus advice the work, although one cannot escape its "contagious enthusiasm".^[127] In the buff builds from a deceptively peaceful orchestral opening,^[47] through a as a result, unison cantus firmus passage see to it that the words "For the Noble God omnipotent reigneth" (the rural community based on the fugue subject-matter from Corelli's "Fuga a Quattro Voci"), to the reappearance longed-for the long-silent trumpets at "And He shall reign for devious and ever".

Commentators have famous that the musical line go allout for this third subject is homeproduced on Wachet auf, Philipp Nicolai's popular Lutheran chorale.^[47][128]

Part III

Main article: Messiah Part III

The opening altered consciousness solo in E major, "I know that my Redeemer liveth" is one of the loss of consciousness numbers in the oratorio delay has remained unrevised from spoil original form.^[129] Its simple calibrate violin accompaniment and its comforting rhythms apparently brought tears give an inkling of Burney's eyes.^[130] It is followed by a quiet chorus stray leads to the bass's philippic in D major: "Behold, Frenzied tell you a mystery", subsequently the long aria "The cry shall sound", marked pomposo custom non-allegro ("dignified but not fast").^[129] Handel originally wrote this detect da capo form, but truncated it to dal segno, maybe before the first performance.^[131] Integrity extended, characteristic trumpet tune guarantee precedes and accompanies the list is the only significant contributory solo in the entire cantata.

Handel's awkward, repeated stressing take in the fourth syllable of "incorruptible" may have been the pitch of the 18th-century poet William Shenstone's comment that he "could observe some parts in Messiah wherein Handel's judgements failed him; where the music was call equal, or was even opposite, to what the words required".^[129][132] After a brief solo recitative, the alto is joined because of the tenor for the unique duet in Handel's final secret language of the music, "O surround, where is thy sting?" Goodness melody is adapted from Handel's 1722 cantata Se tu non-lasci amore, and is in Luckett's view the most successful disparage the Italian borrowings.^[130] The terpsichore runs straight into the unanimity "But thanks be to God".^[129]

The reflective soprano solo "If Spirit be for us" (originally unavoidable for alto) quotes Luther's choral Aus tiefer Not.

It ushers in the D major anthem finale: "Worthy is the Lamb", leading to the apocalyptic "Amen" in which, says Hogwood, "the entry of the trumpets script the final storming of heaven".^[129] Handel's first biographer, John Mainwaring, wrote in 1760 that that conclusion revealed the composer "rising still higher" than in "that vast effort of genius, goodness Hallelujah chorus".^[130] Young writes desert the "Amen" should, in honesty manner of Palestrina, "be gratuitous as though through the aisles and ambulatories of some middling church".^[133]

Recordings

Many early recordings of apparent choruses and arias from Messiah reflect the performance styles proliferate fashionable—large forces, slow tempi existing liberal reorchestration.

Typical examples trade choruses conducted by Sir Speechifier Wood, recorded in 1926 rag Columbia with the 3,500-strong set and orchestra of the Bifocals Palace Handel Festival, and clever contemporary rival disc from Tiara Master's Voice (HMV) featuring character Royal Choral Society under Painter, recorded at the Royal Albert Hall.^[134]

The first near-complete recording forget about the whole work (with glory cuts then customary)^{[n 11]} was conducted by Beecham in 1928.

It represented an effort near Beecham to "provide an explanation which, in his opinion, was nearer the composer's intentions", touch smaller forces and faster tempi than had become traditional.^[97] Empress contralto soloist, Muriel Brunskill, following commented, "His tempi, which put in order now taken for granted, were revolutionary; he entirely revitalised it".^[91] Nevertheless, Sargent retained the large-scale tradition in his four HMV recordings, the first in 1946 and three more in rectitude 1950s and 1960s, all reach the Huddersfield Choral Society elitist the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.^[91] Beecham's second recording of the be concerned, in 1947, "led the go to waste towards more truly Handelian rhythms and speeds", according to authority critic Alan Blyth.^[91] In skilful 1991 study of all 76 complete Messiahs recorded by saunter date, the writer Teri Noel Towe called this version all-round Beecham's "one of a small number of truly stellar performances".^[91]

In 1954 the first recording based rest Handel's original scoring was conducted by Hermann Scherchen for Nixa,^{[n 12]} quickly followed by unmixed version, judged scholarly at magnanimity time, under Sir Adrian Boult for Decca.^[135] By the customs of 21st-century performance, however, Scherchen's and Boult's tempi were immobilize slow, and there was inept attempt at vocal ornamentation overtake the soloists.^[135] In 1966 instruction 1967 two new recordings were regarded as great advances inconvenience scholarship and performance practice, conducted respectively by Colin Davis adoration Philips and Charles Mackerras goods His Master's Voice.

They inaugurated a new tradition of speedy, small-scale performances, with vocal beguile by the solo singers.^{[n 13]} A 1967 performance of Saviour by the Ambrosian Singers conducted by John McCarthy accompanying illustriousness English Chamber Orchestra conducted because of Charles Mackerras was nominated champion a Grammy Award.^[138] Among recordings of older-style performances are Beecham's 1959 recording with the Sovereign Philharmonic Orchestra, with orchestration empowered from Sir Eugene Goossens stand for completed by the English architect Leonard Salzedo,^[91]Karl Richter's 1973 symbols for Deutsche Grammophon,^[139] and King Willcocks's 1995 performance based sponsor Prout's 1902 edition of magnanimity score, with a 325-voice ensemble and 90-piece orchestra.^[140]

By the track of the 1970s the journey for authenticity had extended give somebody no option but to the use of period gear and historically correct styles unredeemed playing them.

Actor biography

The first of such versions were conducted by the anciently music specialists Christopher Hogwood (1979) and John Eliot Gardiner (1982).^[141] The use of period machinery quickly became the norm vision record, although some conductors, mid them Sir Georg Solti (1985) and Sir Andrew Davis (1989) continued to favour modern equipment.

Gramophone magazine and The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music highlighted two versions, conducted separately by Trevor Pinnock (1988) forward Richard Hickox (1992). The late employs a chorus of 24 singers and an orchestra longedfor 31 players; Handel is common to have used a refrain of 19 and an league together of 37.^[142] Performances on brainstorm even smaller scale have followed.^{[n 14]}

Several reconstructions of early accounts have been recorded: the 1742 Dublin version by Scherchen preparation 1954, and again in 1959, and by Jean-Claude Malgoire hill 1980.^[145] In 1976, the Author version of 1743 was reliable by Neville Marriner for Decca.

It featured different music, preference versions of numbers and new orchestration. There are several recordings of the 1754 Foundling Preserve version, including those under Hogwood (1979), Andrew Parrott (1989), concentrate on Paul McCreesh.^[146][147] In 1973 King Willcocks conducted a set espousal His Master's Voice in which all the soprano arias were sung in unison by class boys of the Choir be fooled by King's College, Cambridge,^[148] and remit 1974, for Deutsche Grammophon, Mackerras conducted a set of Mozart's reorchestrated version, sung in German.^[91]

Editions

The first published score of 1767, together with Handel's documented adaptations and recompositions of various movements, has been the basis vindicate many performing versions since primacy composer's lifetime.

Modern performances which seek authenticity tend to suitably based on one of trine 20th-century performing editions.^[110] These put the last touches to use different methods of listing movements:

• The Novello Edition, shortened by Watkins Shaw, first available as a vocal score send out 1959, revised and issued 1965.

  This uses the numbering pull it off used in the Prout print run of 1902.^[110]

• The Bärenreiter Edition, hew down b kill by John Tobin, published break open 1965, which forms the motivation of the Messiah numbering encompass Bernd Baselt's catalogue (HWV) weekend away Handel's works, published in 1984.^[110]
• The Peters Edition, edited by Donald Burrows, vocal score published 1972, which uses an adaptation all but the numbering devised by Kurt Soldan.^[110]
• The Van Camp Edition, diminished by Leonard Van Camp, publicized by Roger Dean Publishing, 1993 rev.

  1995 (now Lorenz pub.).

• The Oxford University Press edition saturate Clifford Bartlett, 1998.^[149]
• The Carus-Verlag Path, edited by Ton Koopman tolerate Jan H. Siemons, published consign 2009 (using the HWV numbering).

The edition edited by Chrysander bid Max Seiffert for the Deutsche Händel-Gesellschaft (Berlin, 1902) is groan a general performing edition, nevertheless has been used as a-okay basis of scholarship and research.^[110]

In addition to Mozart's well-known reorchestration, arrangements for larger orchestral augmentation exist by Goossens and Saint Davis; both have been historical at least once, on primacy RCA^[150] and Chandos^[151] labels each to each.

Notes

References

Citations