Part 1, scene iii, no. 9 Air and Chorus: Isaiah 40:9; 60:1
“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.”
This is one of my favorite movements in Messiah. It is full of restrained jubilance. Handel sets this movement in a ritornello form so the motivic material is clear and evident. The key is D major which is considered triumphant in the Baroque doctrine of affections which links tonal centers with different emotions, but he keeps the orchestration simpler than most triumphal pieces – there are no trumpets or timpani. D major is also one of the most accessible keys for string players and allows those instruments to sparkle. Handel uses a compound duple meter which gives a dance-like quality.
All of this adds up to a piece of great joy mixed with anticipation. The text is telling the bearers of good news, of the God-spell or gospel, to get as high up as they can and point to the coming Messiah. “Oh thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up!” He is approaching, the Bridegroom is coming. “Behold your God!”
This particular performance was a new one for me, and I love it. The tempo is faster than we usually hear it, but more in keeping with the excitement of the music. While English is clearly not the singer’s first language, her interpretation was universal – this is a message for all people. She sings the text with lightness and expectancy. The orchestra creates stunning contrasts between the high motivic material, and the tidings being shared with the low notes. Listen carefully to what the orchestra does when she sings “Behold your God.” There is a moment of awe and wonder.
When the chorus enters at the end of the aria, they maintain the same sense of expectancy. They echo the message of joy.
“Arise, shine, for thy light is come.”
