Western

Classical Music
1600-1899
Handel: And the Glory of
the Lord from Messiah

Learning Outcomes
Learning
outcomes

Process

Success
criteria

We will learn about the context/background of this piece and also

learn about some of its musical features and ideas.

To learn this, we will research key questions about Handel and the
type of work it comes from. We will also play/sing the key musical
ideas and then attempt to learn a section of the piece as a class
choir.

We will know we have succeeded if we leave the lesson familiar with

the music and its key ideas, as well as an understanding of when/why
it was composed.

Context

Written in the Baroque period (c.1600-1750).

George Frederic Handel (1685-1759)
German composer who spent most of his
adult life working in England, even becoming
King George Is composer (is buried in
Westminster Abbey).
Messiah is an oratorio, composed in 1741.
And the Glory of the Lord is a chorus from
Messiah.
Handel clip.htm

Research task
1.
2.

3.

4.

What is an oratorio?
What features do operas and oratorios
have in common?
Why did Handel turn to the oratorio
when he had previously composed
many Italian style operas?
What instruments accompany the
singers in Messiah?

Research findings
What is an oratorio?
Oratorios are religious (bible) stories that are performed by singers. They
have a plot and characters, but are not performed in theatres with
costumes, etc. Usually they are performed in a concert hall.
2.
What features do operas and oratorios have in common?
They are both performed by singers; they both have recitatives, arias and
choruses; they are both accompanied by orchestras. However, operas are
acted out with costume and theatrical props, etc. Oratorios are not acted
out.
3.
Why did Handel turn to the oratorio when he had previously composed
many Italian style operas?
Italian operas werent popular with audiences in London anymore and
audiences seemed to prefer religious (or sacred) stories set to music. The
church forbade bible stories to be performed in theatres with dramatic
action, so Handel decided to produce oratorios for concert performance.
4.
What instruments accompany the singers in Messiah?
An orchestra comprising strings, basso continuo, trumpets and timpani
(Handel later added parts for oboes and bassoons that simply double the
string/vocal parts).
1.

Key musical features

Written for SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass).

4 distinctive musical ideas (contrasting).
Joyful words, therefore music has joyful mood
or affection.
Triple metre (3/4).
Allegro tempo.
A major (Handel deliberately avoids minor
keys in this movement).
Modulates to E major (dominant) & B major
(dominant of the dominant).

Key musical ideas

Idea 1: And the Glory of the Lord

i) First 3 notes outline triad of A major;

ii) Scalic ending (ascending);
iii) Syllabic (one note per syllable).
Idea 2: Shall be revealed

i) x2 1-bar descending sequences;

ii) Melismatic (several notes to a syllable).
Idea 3: And all flesh shall see

it together

i) Repetitive (x3 statements of descending 4th idea);

ii) Reinforces the words strongly.
Idea 4: For the mouth of the Lord has spoken

it

i) Long, repeated notes (dotted minims);

ii) Sung by both tenors & basses to emphasise words (doubled).

Main choral styles used

1.
2.
3.

4.
5.

Single-line writing (monophonic)

Four-part choir (homophonic)
Simple imitation
Two ideas together
Doubled parts

Glossary

Cadence 2 chords at the end of a musical phrase (4 types).

Harmonic rhythm number of times the chord changes per
bar.
Hemiola in 3 time, when notes are heard in 2-beat groupings,
creating the feeling of 2 time temporarily.
Homophonic texture quite thick, usually melody +
chords/simple accompaniment.
Imitative when parts copy/imitate each other.
Modulation change of key.
Monophonic texture thin texture, 1 layer, usually a melody on
its own.
Pedal note a low sustained note.
Perfect cadence chord V followed by chord I.
Plagal cadence chord IV followed by chord I.
Tonic the first degree of the scale (in C major, C is the tonic).
Vb dominant chord (built on 5th degree of scale) in 1st
inversion.
V7c dominant chord with an added 7th note in second
inversion.