George Frideric Handel: Unto which of the angels said he at any time
Messiah Part II
Context
George Frideric Handel’s Messiah has remained one of the composer’s most beloved works. Incredibly, Handel completed this 260-page oratorio in just 24 days during the summer of 1741. The scriptural text was compiled by Charles Jennens, with the source being the King James Bible. The first performance of Messiah was on 13th April 1742, to celebrate Easter.
Initially the oratorio garnered a lukewarm reception from audiences, however the work began to gain popularity over some years, with it now being the go-to work to perform during the Easter period. During this new Messiah exploration on Classicalexburns, blogs will be posted regularly to cover all of the pieces involved in making up this much-loved oratorio.
The Lyrics
| Unto which of the angels said He at any time: “Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee?” | |
|
(Hebrews 1: 5) |
The Music
Taken from Hebrews 1:5, Unto which of the angels said He at any time is a very short tenor recitative in D minor. The tenor is only accompanied by the organ, which plays a very sparse accompaniment that merely states the next chord of the sequence. The recitative leads into the next chorus piece.
Ⓒ Alex Burns
Happy Reading!
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