Messiah Libretto by Charles Jennens (1741, revised 1743) Music by George Frideric Handel (1741, revised through 1754)
Introduction This document is intended as a supplement to the corresponding sound recording excerpt of Part. II, scene 1 on this website. Chorus Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. (Isaiah 53:4,5) And with His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) Arioso (Tenor) All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn; they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads saying: (Psalm 22:7) Chorus He trusted in God that He would deliver Him; let Him deliver Him if He delight in Him. (Psalm 22:8) In this supporting document you will find program notes that I use for my performances, the libretto (divided into scenes) and a portion of the original Dublin 1741 autograph score (as it corresponds to the music you hear). Note that the original libretto of Charles Jennens divided the text not only into three parts but into scenes within those parts. I have adapted these scenes to a later 1749 Foundling Hospital version. Table of Contents Excerpt from 1741 Dublin autogragh score p. 3-35 Libretto p. 36-41 Program Notes p. 42-46 Gerald Gray October 7, 2012
Messiah Libretto Charles Jennens (1741, revised 1743) Prologue MAJORA CANAMUS (translation) Let us sing of greater things. (Virgil, Eclogue IV) And without controversy, great is the Mystery of Godliness: God was manifested in the Flesh, justified by the Spirit, seen of Angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the World, received up in Glory (I Timothy 3 : 16) In whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge (Colossians II : 3) Sinfonia (Orchestra) Part One Scene I The Prophecy of Salvation Arioso and Air (Tenor) Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:1-3) Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight, and the rough places plain. (Isaiah 40:4) 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 it. (Isaiah 40:5) Scene II The Prophecy of the Coming of Messiah Recitative (Bass) Thus saith the Lord of Hosts: Yet once, a little while, and I shall shake the heavens, and the earth, the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come. The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts. (Haggai 2:6,7; Malachi 3:1) Air (Alto) But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner's fire. (Malachi 3:2) Chorus And He shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. (Malachi 3:3)
Scene III The Prophecy of the Virgin Birth Recitative, Air and Chorus (Alto) Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel, "God with us." (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23) O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain. O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah: Behold your God! Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. (Isaiah 40:9; 60:1) Arioso and Air (Bass) For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. (Isaiah 9:2,3) The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2) Chorus For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) Scene IV The Appearance of the Angels to the Shepherds Pifa (Orchestra) Recitative and Arioso (Soprano) There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night (Luke 2:8) And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. (Luke 2:9) And the angel said unto them: Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10,11) And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying: (Luke 2:13) Chorus Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men. (Luke 2:14) Air (Soprano) Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold thy King cometh unto thee: He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen. (Zechariah 9:9,10)
Scene V Christ's Redemptive Miracles on Earth Recitative (Alto) and Air (Alto and Soprano) Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing. (Isaiah 35:5,6) He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; and He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:11) Come unto Him all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you and learn of Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:28,29) Chorus His yoke is easy and His burthen is light. (Matthew 11:30) INTERMISSION of 15 MINUTES Part Two Scene I The Redemptive Sacrifice, the Scourging and the Agony on the Cross Chorus Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) Air (Alto) He was despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. He hid not His face from shame and spitting. (Isaiah 53:3; 50:6) Chorus Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. (Isaiah 53:4,5) And with His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) Arioso (Tenor) All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn; they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads saying: (Psalm 22:7) Chorus He trusted in God that He would deliver Him; let Him deliver Him if He delight in Him. (Psalm 22:8)
Scene II His Sacrificial Death, His Passage Through Hell and Resurrection Recitative and Arioso (Tenor) Thy rebuke hath broken His heart; He is full of heaviness; He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man; neither found He any to comfort Him. (Psalm 69:20) Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow. (Lamentations 1:12) Recitative and Air (Soprano) He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgressions of Thy people was He stricken. (Isaiah 53:8) But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell; nor didst Thou suffer the Holy One to see corruption. (Psalm 16:10) Scene III His Ascension and Identity in Heaven Chorus Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, strong and mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. He is the King of Glory, the Lord of Hosts. (Psalm 24:7-10) Recitative (Tenor) Unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? (Hebrews 1:5) Chorus Let all the angels of God worship Him. (Hebrews 1:6) Air (Alto) Thou art gone up on high. Thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men; yea, even for Thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them. (Psalm 68:18)
Scene IV The Beginning of Evangelism and Rejection of the Gospel Chorus The Lord gave the word; great was the company of the preachers. (Psalm 68:11) Air (Soprano) How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. (Romans 10:15) Chorus Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words unto the ends of the world. (Romans 10:18) Air (Bass) Why do the nations so furiously rage together, why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed. (Psalm 2:1,2) Chorus Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us. (Psalm 2:3) Scene V God's Triumph Recitative and Air (Tenor) He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision. (Psalm 2:4) Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. (Psalm 2:9) Chorus Hallelujah; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19:6; 11:15; 19:16)
Part Three Scene I The Promise of Bodily Resurrection Air (Soprano) 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 shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep. (Job 19:25,26; 1 Corinthians 15:20) Chorus Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21,22) Recitative and Air (Bass) Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. (1 Corinthians 15:51,52) The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:52,53) Scene II Final Victory Recitative (Alto), Duet (Alto and Tenor) and Chorus Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory! (1 Corinthians 15:54) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. (1 Corinthians 15:55,56) But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57) Air (Soprano) If God be for us who can be against us? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:31,33,34) Chorus Worthy is the Lamb that was slain and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 5:12,13)
PROGRAM NOTES Messiah and the English Oratorio What, is Messiah? One might begin by saying what it is not. It is not church music and has nothing to do with things liturgical. Like Handel s other oratorios, it is of the theater. Handel s oratorios are surrogate operas - all of them. They are intended to be heard in concert halls by a diverse audience, not a congregation of same-thinking believers. It fact, Messiah is the only oratorio that Handel performed in a sacred space during his lifetime, though as musicologist Winton Dean points out, "only after it had won its spurs in several theatres and concert halls and at least one tavern." In Handel's oratorios as in opera, it is the drama, the story line that links the movements together as a whole. Most of Handel s oratorios have a libretto replete with named protagonists and antagonists where action takes place and conflicts of great proportion are resolved. Messiah has none of this. It is a collection of scripture from the Old and New Testaments without named characters and no tangible plot. Yet Messiah has usurped all of Handel's other oratorios as the best known and most beloved. Unquestionably, the center of Handel's creative life lay in the theater - with opera. Forced by changed circumstances to forego opera, he defined a new genre the English oratorio. The oratorio itself was not historically new, of course, but Handel s English oratorios were vastly different from any pre-existing models. It is the English oratorio that allowed him to stay as close to the aesthetic world of opera as possible. One distinct difference between this new genre and his operas is that it allowed him to promote the chorus (a benign nonentity in his operas) to the role of participant and commentator at critical moments in the drama. In Messiah, the chorus is at the forefront to a degree that is rare even for Handel. The choruses of Messiah also contain some of the most virtuosic choral passages to be found in any of Handel's oratorios. The Beginnings of Messiah The relationship between the librettist Charles Jennens, and Handel began at least 16 years prior to the genesis of Messiah. During that time, Jennens had provided libretti for the oratorios Saul (1738), L Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato (1740) and possibly Israel in Egypt (1738). According to surviving correspondence, Jennens was not pleased with Handel s initial musical setting of Messiah. Following the Dublin premier Jennens expressed his displeasure with Handel s musical setting in a letter written in January 1743: His Messiah has disappointed me, being set in great hast, tho he said he would be a year about it, & make it the best of all his compositions. I shall put no more sacred words into his hands to be thus abus d. Jennens remained true to his word and provided Handel with no further scripture collections. He did provide Handel with one more libretto, Belshazzar, which Handel set in 1744.
The composition of Messiah took place in a little over three weeks during the summer of 1741. As Messiah came to take its place as a classic work within the musical culture of English Speaking communities, the shortness of this compositional period was interpreted, by some, as a sign of specific spiritual inspiration. In truth, Handel s manner of composing Messiah was typical of his normal work pattern. Handel s method of working resembled that of other composers, before and since, whose work was based in the theater such as Vivaldi, Mozart and Rossini. Like most of his contemporaries, Handel freely borrowed the more successful music from his earlier works to complete later musical compositions. Messiah is no exception. To cite one example, the chorus For unto us a child is born, is music he had written originally for the duet No, I will not trust you, blind Love, in an Italian pastoral composed several years before Messiah. Likewise, some of the other choruses in Messiah eventually found their way into his later instrumental concertos. Such borrowing, however, takes nothing away from the sublime nature of Messiah. The orchestration of Messiah is remarkably modest in comparison to Handel s other English oratorios. Handel originally orchestrated Messiah only for strings and basso continuo with sparse use of timpani and trumpets. He chose to forego the use of flutes, oboes, horns and trombones found in many of his oratorios. The most likely reason for such scoring is that Handel was composing for unknown forces which he was to encounter in the Dublin premier, but the fact that Handel retained this lighter orchestration even when a more elaborate orchestra was available in the subsequent London performances firmly establishes Handel s preference for this sonority. Performances and Revisions During Handel s Lifetime On April 13, 1742, Messiah was premiered at a benefit concert given in Dublin's New Music Hall, as the printed program stated, For the relief of the Prisoners in the several Gaols, and for the support of Mercer's Hospital in Stephen Street, and of the Charitable Infirmary of the Inn's Quay. The premier was greeted with exuberant critical acclaim and subsequent subscription performances were equally well received. In contrast, performances in March of the following year in London s Covent Garden, were poorly received. The reason lies within the libretto itself. While the London clergy had little problem with oratorios of a more secular nature, such as Handel s Samson, being performed in concert halls during Lent; these same Bishops found Messiah, with it s libretto drawn from the Holy Scripture far less palatable. During the weeks preceding the London performances, dissent spread among clergy and parishioners and even found its way into the newspapers. This left little hope for public approval of the London premier. Performances two year later in Covent Garden received little notice, and thankfully, little criticism. In 1749 Messiah finally received the public acceptance in London that had eluded it since its Dublin premier. The occasion was a mid-day charity performance, in the chapel of the Foundling Hospital, presented for the maintenance and education of exposed and
deserted young children. It was in the Foundling Hospital Chapel that Handel s Messiah found it s home and it was there that Handel presented Messiah for the remaining decade of his life. In fact, the only performances of Messiah to be well received during Handel s lifetime were charitable performances. It was certainly due, in large, to the issues surrounding the performance of Holy Scripture in concert halls. But perhaps it was also because the message of beneficence, suffering, redemption and victory found in Messiah is such a fitting call to charity. Performance History Since Handel s Time Almost immediately after Handel's death Messiah entered into a sad, but fascinating journey through three centuries of bloat, distortion, and stylistic misrepresentation. Were it a less hearty work, such distortions might have proven fatal. The Handel Commemoration of 1784 (the 25th anniversary of his death) marked the beginning of a tradition of gargantuan choruses, Mahleresque re-orchestrations and numbingly slow tempi that has continued into our own time. In fact, Mozart re-orchestrated the score, as did the song composer Robert Franz. Further alterations were made by Ebenezer Prout and Sir Thomas Beecham who had the work re-scored for large modern forces, decorating the Hallelujah Chorus to cite one famous example with dazzling piccolos and enthusiastically clashing cymbals. Even in the face of stylistic misunderstandings and numerical immoderation, musicians and audiences willing to search for the underlying message - the truth - in Jennens' and Handel's collaboration have, I believe, generally found it. In contrast, an interest in historically informed performances (HIP) of earlier music has emerged during second half of the twentieth century. This movement was spawned by the scholarship of such prominent musicologists as Thurston Dart, Robert Donnington and Frederick Neumann. The movement began in the 1950 s and 1960 s with groups of university players struggling with replicas of earlier instruments and singers exploring different ways of singing to create this new aesthetic. In the 1970 s Pioneers in the movement such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Christopher Hogwood and John Elliot Gardiner formed performing organizations that took such interests out of universities and onto the international concert stage. By the last decade of the 20 th century the issue of quality in such performances was no longer a concern and the field was providing a livelihood for many players and singers worldwide. This movement is alive and well today as demonstrated by the continued success of such organizations as Tafelmusik in Toronto, Philharmonia Baroque in San Francisco and the Monteverdi Choir in London. Those new to the idea of HIP performances might ask what makes a performance HIP? One essential element is for the performer to acquire an understanding of research in historical performance practices. Secondly, the performer must apply this information to the performance in a practical manner. One way such scholarship can be applied to a performance is in choosing the size and nature of the performing forces. Also, using performing materials such as musical scores and orchestral parts that reflect current scholarship is important. Making appropriate stylistic choices in the performance of the music is equally essential. That being said, all of this can make for an historically
informed performance but not necessarily an inspiring one. All of these elements are secondary to the primary task of the performer which is to get to the heart and soul of the music and convey that to the listener. These and other elements that make up a HIP performance can indeed help us get closer to the heart and soul of the music buy bringing us closer to the composers intentions. How does this apply to tonight s performance of Messiah? First, knowing that Handel s choir for messiah averaged around forty singers and about as many players is important. When we move our performing forces within that range a greater sense of clarity in the orchestra and chorus becomes possible. Also, the smaller orchestra and chorus can achieve a flexibility of rhythm and phrasing rarely possible with larger forces. Secondly, knowing about the different performing versions of Messiah allows us to make informed choices regarding the assignment of solos as well as what movements to include in the performance. In the case of Messiah the complex history of changes made by the composer throughout almost two decades of performances precludes the compilation of a single authentic version. In fact, The original manuscript of Messiah underwent considerable changes even before the first performance. The Danish musical scholar Jens Peter Larsen, in his book devoted entirely to the study of this single work, noted that the question of the authentic form of Messiah is complicated to a degree that the nonspecialist can scarcely imagine. Modern scholars have been able to reconstruct nine performances or versions with some accuracy. The version you will hear tonight is of the Foundling Hospital performances of 1752. This version is distinct in it s revisions to accommodate the famed alto castrato Gaetano Guadagni (who later sang the title role in the 1762 premier of Gluck s Orfeo ed Euridice). The more significant changes made in the 1752 version are found first in the bass aria But who may abide which was revised with an extended refiner s fire section and assigned to Guadagni. Likewise, the soprano aria Thou art gone up on high was extended and reassigned to Guadagni. Another interesting fact about Messiah is that after the first performances in 1742, Jennens revised the libretto primarily by dividing the individual movements into scenes. This is significant in that it allows the performers to group the music into cohesive groups of five or six movements that segue into each other greatly improving the dramatic continuity of the overall performance. These few examples, plus the many choices made by the performers of tonight s performance all contribute to what we hope will be a meaningful experience for you the listener. Dr. Gerald T. Gray
(please place this somewhere in the program as an antidote) What about the tradition of standing during the Hallelujah chorus? According to myth, at the first London performance, King George II stood during the Hallelujah chorus prompting the rest of the audience to do so. The real question is not whether King George II stood but whether he was there at all! The last occasion that King George was known to have attended one of Handel s theater performances was a performance of Saul four years prior to Messiah.