George Frideric Handel: The Messiah, Part I
The Messiah, Part I
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
soloists, chorus, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, strings
Composed 1741. First performance: 13 April 1742, Great Music Hall, Dublin, Ireland. Choirs of St. Patrick’s and Christ Church Cathedrals; George Frideric Handel, continuo and conductor.
While the oratorio had a long history throughout Europe, it was in England that the form took root and flourished. Beginning with Esther, considered to be the first English-language oratorio, Handel developed the form into a distinctly English form of spectacle and drama. Due in part to synergy with the nation’s rich choral tradition, oratorios only grew in popularity after Handel’s death, giving us Victorian-era pieces such as Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Stainer’s The Crucifixion, and continuing to the present with contributions from composers like Michael Tippett (A Child of Our Time) and even Paul McCartney (Liverpool Oratorio). But without question, the most well-known and frequently-performed oratorio in history is Handel’s The Messiah.
For several years, Handel had collaborated on biblical oratorios with librettist Charles Jennens, who always offered his services without fee and insisted on anonymity. In 1741, Jennens sent Handel his newest work, The Messiah. Intended by the devout Anglican as a response to deism, The Messiah is a collection of scriptures (drawn almost verbatim from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer) structured to present the foundation of Christian theology.
Jennens organized the libretto in three parts, each divided into scenes. Part I begins with the voices of Old Testament prophets and then presents the Nativity story from the point of view of the shepherds. Part II tells of Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, ending with the famous “Hallelujah” chorus. In Part III, Paul’s epistles discuss the salvation of mankind and predict the Day of Judgment. Jennens was aware that by presenting these verses without context, the “plot” would seem opaque to listeners unfamiliar with the Bible, so he provided early audiences with a pamphlet explaining the scriptures’ significance.
Handel began composing on August 22 and completed Part I in less than a week. The entire work was finished in just 24 days. This fast pace was typical of Handel’s output and was helped by his willingness to reuse older melodies and even entire arias. “For unto us a child is born”, for instance, was previously “No, di voi non vo' fidarmi” (“No! I will not trust you, blind Love”), and “His yoke is easy” was “Quel fior che all'alba ride” (“The flower that laughs at dawn”).
Handel also borrowed melodies from other composers. The chorale in the “Hallelujah” chorus (“The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever”) is set to “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme”, a hymn known to many of us through Bach’s cantata and organ prelude.
Such borrowings and reuse were standard practice at the time and were even welcomed by audiences, who had few other ways to hear favorite tunes in a time before recordings and home sound systems. In the case of “Wachet auf”, the allusion also provides meaningful subtext to the sung lyrics; the hymn originally associated with the borrowed melody draws on Jesus’ Parable of the Ten Virgins, which warns the faithful to be prepared for the arrival of the Kingdom of God.
Shortly after completing the work, Handel traveled to Dublin to perform a concert series. He decided to conclude his stay in Ireland with The Messiah, his sixth oratorio. The work premiered in April with a 32-voice choir drawn from two local churches, and the warm reception led Handel to add an additional performance.
The London premiere followed on March 23, 1743. Concerned about criticism that such a sacred subject was inappropriate for a public theater, Handel marketed the work as A New Sacred Oratorio. This performances received only a tepid response, but when the work was remounted later at Covent Garden under its original title, it was an indisputable success. A tradition soon arose of annual performances for charity each spring. Though the original version was composed for a small orchestra and chorus, The Messiah was frequently reorchestrated by other composers (including a chamber version by Mozart). These performances kept increasing in size and spectacle. Within a few decades of Handel’s death, 50-piece orchestras and choirs of 300-600 singers (10 to 20 times the size of the choruses used in Handel’s lifetime!) were not unusual. Contemporary taste has shifted more in line with Handel’s original intentions.
Though The Messiah was originally associated with Easter, it has become traditional to present Part I on its own at Christmas. Such performances normally conclude with the “Hallelujah” chorus from Part II. This first “act” is divided into five scenes in two groups: the Old Testament prophecies of Christ’s coming and the angelic announcement to the shepherds of his birth.
The Messiah begins with an instrumental “Sinfony” written in the two-part form of a French overture. Isaiah’s pronouncements follow, prophesying the redemption of mankind, warning of God’s judgment for sin, and finally predicting the arrival of Jesus. (“For unto us a child is born”)
An instrumental pastorale, titled “Pifa”, after the pifferari, takes us to the fields outside Bethlehem. The soprano tells of angels appearing to shepherds, climaxing with “Glory to God in the highest”, which marks the first use of trumpets in the piece. The final scene reflects on the comforting impact Christ’s birth will have on mankind.
The “Hallelujah” chorus is perhaps the most famous choral music ever written. Appearing at the end of the Pentecost story in Part II, the text from Revelation foretells the coming of God’s kingdom on earth. The music, which begins with a surprisingly light touch, grows into a grand exaltation of God’s eternal kingdom, climaxing with a dramatic finale certain to lift our hearts and warm our spirits.
Copyright © 2014 Chris Myers. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution or reproduction prohibited.