George Frideric Handel - Messiah
Orch: Original (2 Ob., Bsn.) / 2 Tpt. / Timp. /
Str., Basso continuo / Soloists: S,A,T,B / Choir: S,A,T,B
Mozart's
Orchestration 2 Fl., 2 Ob., 2 Cl., 2 Bsn. / 2 Hrn., 2 Tpt., 3 Tbn. /
Timp. / Str., Organ / Soloists: S,A,T,B / Choir:
S,A,T,B
Approx.: 2 Hours 30
Min.
Composed: August 22 - September 14,
1741
Libretto: Charles Jennes, after the
Bible
Autograph: British Museum
First Part
1. Sinfony
Grave - Allegro
moderato
2. Accompagnato
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
3. Air
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made
low: the crooked straight, and the rough places plain:
Isaiah 40:4
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
5. Accompagnato
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, a little while,
and I will 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.
Haggai 2:6-7
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.
Malachi 3:1
6. Air
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
7. Chorus
And He shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto
the Lord an offering in righteousness.
Malachi 3:3
8. Recitative
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall
call his name Emmanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
[Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they
shall call his name Emmanuel,] "God with us".
Matthew 1:23
9. Air
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!
Isaiah 40:9
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon
thee.
Isaiah 60:1
10. Accompagnato
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 60:2-3
11. Air
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they
that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Isaiah 9:2
12. 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
13. Pifa (Pastoral Symphony)
14. Recitative - Accompagnato
There were shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
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 2:8-9
15. Recitative
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
16. Accompagnato
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of
the heavenly host, praising God, and saying:
Luke 2:13
17. Chorus
Glory to God in the
highest, and peace on earth, goodwill toward men!
Luke 2:14
18. Air
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
19. Recitative
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears
of the deaf be unstopped.
Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the
tongue of the dumb shall sing.
Isaiah 35:5-36
20. Air
He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the
lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those
that are with young.
Isaiah 40:11
Come unto Him, all ye that labour 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
21. Chorus
His yoke is easy, His burthen is light.
Matthew
11:30
Second Part
22. Chorus
Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the
world.
John 1:29
23. Air
He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief.
Isaiah 53:3
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 50:6
24. 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
25. Chorus
And with His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5
26. Chorus
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
27. Accompagnato
All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn: they shoot
out their lips, and shake their heads, saying,
Psalms 22:7
28. Chorus
He trusted in God that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver
Him, if He delight in Him.
Psalms 22:8
29. Accompagnato
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.
Psalms 69:20
30. Arioso
Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.
Lamentations 1:12
31. Accompagnato
He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the
transgressions of Thy people was He stricken.
Isaiah 53:8
32. Air
But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell; nor didst Thou suffer
Thy Holy One to see corruption.
Psalms 16:10
33. 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, the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your
heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of
Glory shall come in!
Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the
King of Glory.
Psalms 24:7-10
34. Recitative
Unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My
Son, this day have I begotten Thee?
Hebrews 1:5
35. Chorus
Let all the angels of God worship Him.
Hebrews 1:6
36. Air
Thou art gone up on high, Thou hast led captivity captive and
received gifts for men; yea, even for Thine enemies rebellious also, that the
Lord God might dwell among them.
Psalms 68:18
37. Chorus
The Lord gave the word: great was the company of the
preachers.
Psalms 68:11
38. Air
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of
peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Romans 10:15
39. Chorus
Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words unto
the ends of the world.
Romans 10:18
40. Air
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.
Psalms
2:1-2
41. Chorus
Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes
from us.
Psalms 2:3
42. Recitative
He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn: the
Lord shall have them in derision.
Psalms 2:4
43. Air
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them
in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Psalms 2:9
44. Chorus
Hallelujah, for the
Lord God Omnipotent reigneth, Hallelujah!
Revelation 19:6
The Kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His
Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever, Hallelujah!
Revelation
11:15
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and He shall reign for ever and ever,
Hallelujah!
Revelation 19:16
Third Part
45. Air
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.
Job 19:25-26
For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep.
1 Corinthians 15:20
46. 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
47. Recitative
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
48. Air
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
49. Recitative
Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 Corinthians 15:54
50. Duet
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
51. Chorus
But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57
52. Air
If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31
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 maketh intercession
for us.
Romans 8:33-34
53. 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
honour, and glory, and blessing.
Blessing, and honour, glory and power, be
unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
Amen.
Revelation 5:12-14
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