Handel: And the Glory of the Lord from The Messiah (1741, baroque)

Context:

• From oratorio (setting of religious words to music) the Messiah
• Handel was German, but settled in England. Messiah is still performed in concert halls and churches and takes 3 hours to perform. Handel wrote it in just 3 weeks

Texture:

• Homophonic and contrapuntal textures
• Continuo bass is main accompaniment during first few bars
• Homorhythmic in final bars (135 – 138)
• Rich, thick
• Few changes in dynamic, but the number of parts playing changes dynamics – known as terraced dynamics. Dynamics were originally not marked
• The only dynamics are f and p

Harmony:

• Diatonic, in A Major
• Perfect cadences (5-1) at ends of phrases
• Modulates to dominant (E Major), (bar 25), with appearances of D#
• Returns to A Major (bar 37)
• Modulates to dominant of current key, to B Major in bar 68
• Returns to E Major in bar 93, then A Major in bar 105, and remains in this key for the rest of the piece.
• Ends on plagal cadence (4-1)

Instrumentation:

• Baroque orchestra: violins, viola, bass, continuo bass and SATB voice (soprano, alto, tenor, bass)
• This SATB choir is main melodic interest
• Instruments double the voice parts
• Basso continuo used – harpsichord and cello play the harmonic progression

Rhythm:

• 3 / 4 time signature, simple triple time
• Allegro (quick, lively), although last line is marked Adagio (slower), giving more gradual ending and this gives importance to the text: ‘Hath spoken it’
• Hemiola used at cadence points, giving importance, e.g. at bars 9-10
• Harmony is either 1 or 2 chords per bar
• Pause before the last phrase, for effectiveness

Melody:

• Call and response for ‘And the Glory of the Lord’
• Sequencing
• Sylabbic in places (eg. Bar 11 ‘And the Glory of the Lord’)
• Four motifs
• Melismatic (more than one note per syllable) in places, (eg. Bar 18 ‘re – veal – ed)

Form:

• Based upon 4 motifs that highlight the four main lines of text
• Introduction → motif A & B → modulates to E major → ritornello (recurring passage) → motif C & D → ritornello → long session (57 bars) where choir sings → pause, then Adagio bars (grand ending)