Handel's Messiah- And the Glory of the Lord

What year was Handel's Messiah written?

Answer: 1741

It was first performed in which city?

Answer: Dublin

The Messiah is an example of which type of choral work?

Answer: Oratorio

This work is written for:

• • S.A.T.B Choir
  • a Bass Instrument - A.K.A Basso Continuo
  • 2x Violin
  • Viola
• N.B: the piece starts with a Ritornello- where the instruments use patterns and notes from the melodies sung by the choir later in the piece.

There are 4 main melodic ideas in this piece:

• 'and the glory...'
  • starts with an A major triad - outlinig the key
  • conjunct, descending sequence after the triad
  • syllabic word-setting
• ''shall be revealed...'
  • descending sequence
  • melismatic word-setting
  • imitation between the choral and instrumental parts
• 'and all flesh...'
  • mix of syllabic and melismatic word-setting
  • rising 4th and then a descending 3 note, conjunct idea
  • repeated 1 bar idea
• 'for the mouth...'
  • syllabic word-setting
  • dotted minims- seem longer values compared to other note values in the piece
  • tonic pedal

• This piece is written in A major and in a suitable dance tempo
  • This gives the piece a cheerful mood.
• The piece starts in A major
  • Then modulates to the dominant - E major
    • Then modulates to the dominant of the dominant - B major
• This is within Baroque technique as the keys are always related
• There is a use of both tonic and dominant pedals
• Perfect cadences are used to indicate the end of a section, in line with common Baroque characteristics

• The piece starts with an instrumental Ritornello
• The choir enters with only the Altos singing
  • In Unison
• The texture later becomes polyphonic as more parts enter
• The piece then later becomes homophonic
• The piece ends homorythmically
  
  • All parts are singin/playing the same rhythm, just on different notes of the relevant chords

• The piece has a cheerful mood due to:
  • It's major tonality
  • It's metre - 3 time
• This piece has Editorial Dynamics - determined by the group performing, dependant on parts
• There is a sense of drama at the end of the piece due to the change in tempo (adagio) and the 3 bars rest.
  • This is then accentuated by the homorythmic texture and the forte dynamic.

• There are many dotted rhythms in this piece
  • Giving the piece a cheerful and light feeling
• It is written in 3/4 time
• The piece is mainly composed of crotchets and quavers.
• There is a hemiola
• There is a pause before the final plagal cadence of the piece