Music #332 - Händel

Georg Friedrich Händel 

[ˈhɛndəl]  /HAN-dle/   (1685 – 1759)

A German-born British Baroque composer, active in Italy (1706-13), famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos.

Messiah   

Handel's Messiah oratorio has 3 parts: The Birth, The Passion, and The Aftermath - of Jesus Christ.  

At the end of Part 2 is the Hallelujah Chorus, which has a convention for the audience to stand.  Here you'll notice 
* the standing audience
* its simple and repetitive lyrics is easy to sing along

* 英語演出 * 體裁大型 * 於劇場舉行首演

A full version (2-1/4 hours)

One legend was that two and half centuries ago, King George II of England stood up when hearing this chorus, and everybody else there had to follow.  That started the standing convention, for centuries and worldwide.              

This video has an open score, with separate Soprano-Alto-Tenor-Bass, for us to try them all.  Or, just sing along.

The following shows a creative way to display the lyrics intended for the audience to sing along.  But the audience chose to laugh along.

* Silent Monks

Handel conducting an oratorio
- anonymous 
- etching on paper (20 cm dia) c.1740
- (not on display) British Museum (London)

Israel in Egypt (在埃及的以色列人) 

- biblical oratorio

* 英語演出 * 體載大型 (雙合唱團) * 於劇院首演 (1739) 

- VIII. “He smote all the first born” 

(牠又擊殺他們國內所有長子)

Giulio Cesare

Full name: Giulio Cesare in Egitto ("Julius Caesar in Egypt") opera

Cleopatra sings to Julius Caesar

The Harmonious Blacksmith

- is the popular name of the final movement, Air and variations, of Suite No. 5 for harpsichord.
* piano

Did you sing it in grade school?  I did.

Alexander's Feast   

Click here for a 2-hour version

Sarabande  

A dance melody in triple metre (3/4 or  9/8) 

* Adapted in Barry Lyndon (1975)

* Maksim on piano

Organ Concerto Op. 4 No. 4

Concerto Grosso

* Opus 3, No.1-6
* Opus 6, No.1-12

Passacaglia for Cello and Violin 

- by Handel-Halvorsen

* a violin between 2 knees

* piano

Xerxes (or Serse) opera

* Largo is the first aria of the opera. Its Italian name is "Ombra mai fù" / “Never has there been a shade”.

* King Xerxes sings in praise of a tree's shade as he sits beneath it.  

The lyrics is simple and repetitive:

Ombra mai fù --- di vegetabile, 
--- cara ed amabile, --- soave più.

[Never has there been a shade --- of a plant 
--- more dear and lovely --- or more gentle.]

The score for King Xerxes was originally composed to be sung by a soprano castrato, but is now rearranged for other voice types (e.g. soprano or mezzo-soprano).

A castrato was a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of (female) soprano; he was castrated before puberty, so that no testosterone would change his larynx to a man's, but his lungs developed to a man's (a bigger resonance box than a woman's).

= = = = =
Extra:
* Lascia ch'io pianga / Let me weep
* Cara Sposa / Dear bride