Tag: Angels

Messiah – Part 1, Scene iv: The appearance of the Angels to the Shepherds

Part 1, scene iv, nos. 16-17 Recitative and Chorus: Luke 2:13-14

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

The final two movements of this scene contain so much joy and excitement. The accompanied recitative, always saved for more dramatic moments, begins with a flurry of sixteenth notes in the high strings, almost like the rhythmic beating of angel wings, creating a shimmering effect.

The angel chorus breaks in with “Glory to God in the highest” sung only by the three highest voices of the choir – the earthbound basses are omitted. Heaven sings, and earth replies. The low voices and strings join on a unison “and peace on earth” and for a moment the fluttering of wings stops. Then the angels can’t stand the pause and pick up again. “Glory to God” and once more earth replies in unison. Then we get a small fugal passage where the good news is passed from one voice to another.

This is followed by another statement of “Glory to God…” but this time heaven and earth join together while the strings flutter their wings. When we next hear “and peace on earth” it is no longer in unison but delivered in rich chordal harmony. There is one more short fugal passage while “goodwill…” is passed between heaven and earth, and then we hear the angels depart back into heaven and are gone in a quiet twinkle.

Sometimes no commentary is needed because the music speaks for itself.

Messiah – Part 1, Scene iv: The appearance of the Angels to the Shepherds

Part 1, scene iv, no. 15 Recitative: Luke 2:10-11

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.

In this very short, declamatory recitative, Handel delivers the greatest announcement of all time. By using secco, or dry, recitative, the text becomes the most important element. Handel uses the slow harmonic motion to support the text effectively and with great insight. He begins in the key of A major, and uses the most common of all chord progressions to begin – tonic, subdominant, dominant, tonic or I-IV-V-I. This particular chord progression has been used in everything from Baroque to the Blues and beyond because these three chords contain within them every note of the scale and therefore can be used to harmonize any note of the melody. It is familiar and it is comforting. “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy!”

But then we get a twist. Handel moves suddenly from A major into E major, the dominant of A, by way of a B major chord, which is the dominant of E. And he does it in two chords. Then we are thrust into C# major which finally resolves to F# major. Handel has taken us on a journey all over the map. “Which shall be for ALL people.”

That final key of F# indicated triumph over struggle in the Baroque period. Handel uses it here for one of the most important triumphs over struggle of all time: For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord.”

God made man. The opening salvo is fired. The war against sin and death has begun. And while the battle will rage, triumph has been declared in the form of a baby, and announced to some ragged shepherds outside of Bethlehem.