Baroque MusicGeorge Freidrich Handel

Part I

Renaissance Music

Baroque Music

Renaissance Polyphony(Palestrina)

too sophisticated;can’t understand all those voices!!!

They even sing in Latin!*?#!

Protestant Church (the Reformation)Catholic Church

Protestant Church (the Reformation)Catholic Church

Simplify musical expression

Part II

Opera

Opera

Musical and theatrical performance. The lines (dialogue) sung, not spoken

Recitative

Baroque composers looked back to Greek theatre

Text sung with musical accompaniment

Result was a recitative:

single vocal line with simple instrumental accompaniment

Within the Messiah, the recitative acts as an informational segue to the

narrative

Much easier to understand music (vocal lines)

Music gave emotional intensity to performance.

Oratorio

Oratorio:

Music set to stories derived from Bible

Recitatives normally secular

Oratorios normally sacred

Part III

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)

Child Prodigy

By the age of seven he was a skillful performer on the harpsichord and

organ, and at nine he began to compose music.

Father wanted him to study LAW, but he died and Handel turned to…

Music

He moved to Hamburg, accepting a position as violinist and harpsichordist in the orchestra of

the opera-house.

In 1710 Handel became Kappellmeister (Choir Master) to George, Elector of Hanover, who

would soon be King George I of Great Britian.

He visited London in 1710 and settled there permanently in 1712, receiving a yearly

income of £200 from Queen Anne.

In 1723, Handel moved into a newly built house in Brook Street, London,

where he rented until his death 36 years later.

Handel lived at 25 Brook Street, London, now commemorated by a blue plaque on the outside of the

building.

It was here that he composed Messiah

Next door at 23 Brook Street is another blue plaque for a more modern musician……….

Handel lived at 25 Brook Street, London, now commemorated by a blue plaque on the outside of the building.

It was here that he composed Messiah

Next door at 23 Brook Street is another blue plaque for a

more modern musician, Jimi Hendrix.

If you don’t believe it, look at this photo of Mr. Holdren

outside the apartments on Brooke Street in London in

March 2011.

Part IV

Handel’s Messiah

Handel’s Messiah

sacred Oratorio

Composed in 24 days

Thematic Outline for Messiah

Thematic Outline for Messiah

1. Messianic prophecy: the coming of Christ

Thematic Outline for Messiah

1. Messianic prophecy: the coming of Christ

2. Suffering and death of Christ. The defeat of humanity and the spread of God’s doctrine

Thematic Outline for Messiah

1. Messianic prophecy: the coming of Christ

2. Suffering and death of Christ. The defeat of humanity and the spread of God’s doctrine.

3. Redemption of Humanity through Christ; overthrow of death; and a hymn of thanksgiving.

This is the same theme as the Sistine Ceiling!!!!

O=Orchestra; R=Recitative; A=Aria, C=Chorus

Aria= a solo piece; emphasizing great emotion; noted for high pitches—a soaring sound—particular to Italian operas. Love is an often used subject for arias

CHORUS:

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.And all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken.

(Isaiah 40:5)

Recitative:

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, “God with us”.

(Isaiah 7:14/Matthew 1:23)

Aria (air):

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I see God.

(Job 19:25-26)

Chorus:

Hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth, Hallelujah!The Kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever, Hallelujah!King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and he shall reign for ever and ever, Hallelujah!

(Revelation 19:6, 11:15, 19:16)