George Frideric Handel: Their sound is gone out into all lands
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
Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their wounds unto the ends of
the world.
(Romans 10:18)
The Music
The chorus returns for this wonderful short piece that uses text from Romans 10:18. The voices and orchestra are often in unison, with the more contrapuntal lines sticking out and showing the development of the music. The rich textures Handel creates are laden with beautiful harmonies that come to an perfect resolution at the end.
Ⓒ Alex Burns
Happy Reading!
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