George Frideric Handel was a German-born Baroque composer known for his oratorios and operas. He composed the famous oratorio Messiah in 1741, setting biblical texts to music. The fourth movement, "And the Glory of the Lord", is a joyful chorus based on four motifs corresponding to phrases from the text. It uses Baroque musical features like distinct melodies, rhythms, and textures for each motif. The piece modulates between keys and alternates between homophonic and contrapuntal textures to varying the structure.

2. George Frideric Handel
 Born in Germany 1685
 Went to Italy in his 20s
 Returned to Germany and became court conductor for
Prince Elector of Hanover
 Moved to London. Then Prince Elector of Hanover
became George 1st of Britain so Handel composed for
him again
 Generally made his living from composing operas and
oratorios
 Died in London 1789

3. Sacred and Secular music
 Sacred – has a religious aspect. Can be
Mass, Requiem, Chorale, Oratorio or Cantata.
 Secular – non religious. Can be Opera or Cantata.

4. Features of Baroque Music
 Tonal
 Use of ornamentation
 Mainly string orchestra
 Use of basso continuo
 Terraced dynamics

5. Messiah
 An oratorio
 Written in 3 weeks in the summer of 1741
 Words set by Charles Jennens. Mainly from the
prophecies of the Messiah in the Old Testament of
King James’ Bible.
 First performed in Dublin 13 April 1742
 First performed in London in the Covent Garden
Theatre. The audience doubted of presenting such a
subject in the theatre was a good idea. But eventually
this became the most famous of all major choral work.

6. An oratorio
 Large scale orchestral work
 Biblical subject for concert performance (like an opera
but sacred music not secular)
 Handel’s were often poetic versions of dramatic stories
In oratorios there were:
 Arias – vocal solo with orchestral accompaniment
 Recitative – like a spoken song. Tells a story and
rhythm is like normal speech
 Chorus – sung by the choir . Usually SATB.

7. First Performance in Dublin 13th
April 1742
 No more than 16 singers and 10 string players
 The altos were counter altos – male altos – who used a
technique called falsetto to get the high notes.
 The pitch was a semitone lower than today.
 The recording tries to imitate this performance.

8. ‘And the Glory of the Lord’
 The fourth movement.
 First chorus.
 After a tenor aria and before a bass recitative
 4 motifs based on the four phrases:
 And the glory of the Lord
 Shall be revealed
 And all flesh shall see it together
 For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it

9. Metre
 This is in ¾ simple triple time
 The triple metre makes I dance like so it sounds joyful
Tempo
 Allegro – fast, sounds joyful
 Last four bars are marked Adagio. This is only
intended to be a little slower than allegro (which is
what it is in the recording). It helps create a grand
ending.

10. Tonality
 Begins in bright and joyful key of A major.
 Starts to change in bar 22 to E major – the dominant –
with the appearances of D#.
 It then returns to A major in bar 37. E major is briefly
passed through in bar 63 before the piece moves
swiftly to B major – the dominant of the dominant.
 The piece then returns on its journey the way it wen
and it goes back to E major in bar 93 then A major in
bar 105.
 It stays in A from then onwards.

11. Harmony
 The voices are in harmony . There is no dissonance.
 At the end of the introduction, there is a perfect
cadence to mark it.
 Perfect cadences are used o confirm the changes of
keys eg. bars 37 – 38 a perfect cadence in E major.
 Handel makes the last of chord of one section the first
of the next so that a sense of energy is achieved.
 The piece ends in a plagal cadence so it sounds like a
grand ‘Amen’.

12. Melody
 Each motif has its distinctive melody
 Motif A: leaps to outline A major. Ends with the last 3
notes of an ascending A major scale. This movement
from low A to high A creates a surge of confidence.
 Motif B : a smooth descending outline. Has a
sequence.
 Motif C: A repeated figure spanning the interval of E
and A.
 Motif D: mostly on the same pitch, combined with the
rhythm creates a solemn chant.

13. Rhythm
 Like melody, the rhythm for each motif is different.
 Motif A: simple rhythm, with a dotted crotchet- quaver
rhythm in the second bar
 Motif B: dotted rhythm sequence
 Motif C: a repeated crotchet quaver, quaver, crotchet figure.
 Motif D: contains long dotted crotchets, expressing
seriousness of the words.
 Hemiolas are used at cadences eg. Bar 9 – 10
 There is a general pause before the last phrase for
effectiveness

14. Texture
 Alternates between homophonic and contrapuntal.
 Motif A is sung by altos then repeated by the whole choir
homophonically.
 Handel contrasts the opening homophonic texture by
creating a contrapuntal one in bar 22 where the tenors
enter with motif A whilst the others continue with motif B.
 Motifs are often combined in counterpoint to create a
complex contrapuntal texture.
 Another technique used by Handel to vary texture is by
using different combinations of voices. Eg. Bar 108 – 110
where the sopranos are on their own so that their highest
note – A – is exposed.
 Ends homophonic so it sounds ‘grand’.

15. Structure
 All based around the 4 motifs
 Begins with introduction – bars 1-10
 Then the entry of motif A and B – bars 11-8
 After the piece modulates to E major there is a ritornello in
E major – bars 38-42
 It then introduces motif C and D – bars 43-73
 There is another ritornello for 3 bars (73-75)
 Then there is a long section of 57 bars which the choir
sings
 There is a general pause before the Adagio bars, which is
the ‘grand ending’

16. Dynamics
 They were originally not marked.
 Terraced dynamics are used as instruments then did
not have a great dynamic range.
 The only dynamics are f and p
Instruments
 String orchestra.
 Basso continuo: cello and chamber organ.