Handel: ‘And the Glory of the Lord’ from Messiah

Question 1

Performing Forces

Answer 1

o Choir – sopranos, altos, tenors, basses
o 2 Violins (double the voice line, octaves)
o Viola
o Continuo – bass (cello) and keyboard (organ)

Question 2

Structure

Answer 2

o Ritornello/i – orchestral introduction (returns later in 2 different places)
o 4 Motifs – A+B, C+D, then different combinations
o Antiphony – voices and instruments alternate

Question 3

Melody

Answer 3

o Theme A – altos start, anacrusis, disjunct, conjunct, syllabic
o Theme B – tenors start, conjunct, descending sequence, melisma (‘revealed’)
o Theme C – altos start, rising 4th, repeated short descending melody
o Theme D – tenors and basses start, monotone pedal, solemn and psalm-like

Question 4

Rhythm

Answer 4

o Steady and almost continuous crotchet movement keeps music moving forward
o Dotted rhythms (A+B)

Question 5

Metre

Answer 5

o Dance-Like Metre – 3/4

o Hemiola – music feels like 2/4

Question 6

Tempo

Answer 6

o Allegro – fast
o General Pause – bar of total silence
o Adagio – drawn-out ending

Question 7

Tonality

Answer 7

o A major
o Modulations – dominant (E major) and dominant of dominant (B major)
o Plagal Cadence et end (Perfect Cadences elsewhere)
o Lots of Prepared Dissonances and Suspensions

Question 8

Texture

Answer 8

o Mainly Contrapuntal – lots of independent melodic lines
o Homophonic – melody (choir) and accompaniment (orchestra)
o Monophonic – very short passage
o Imitative Polyphony – tenors immediately copied by basses and sopranos, ‘shall be revealed’
o Varying Textures – different combinations

Question 9

Word-Setting

Answer 9

o Syllabic – ‘For the mouth of the Lord’
o Melismatic – ‘revealed’
o Repeated Phrases
o Accents – important words are stressed (‘Glory’ and ‘Lord’)