Die libretto vir Messias is met die grootste sorg ontwerp en gekies uit die Nuwe en Ou Testamente deur Charles Jennens (1700—73), ‘n literêre geleerde en redakteur van Shakespeare se toneelstukke wat opgevoed is aan Balliol College, Oxford. Ten spyte van sy meriete en bekwaamheid, het Jennens nooit ‘n graad of veel erkenning van die samelewing verwerf nie, omdat hy ‘n nie-jurielid was en geweier het om die Hannoveraanse dinastie as wettige erfgename van die troon van Brittanje te erken. Tog kon Jennens ook nie ‘n Jakobiet (d.w.s. ‘n ondersteuner van die afgesette Katolieke Stuarts) wees nie, omdat hy ‘n onwrikbare Protestant was.

Teologiese konsep

Die teologiese konsep vir Jennens se Skrifversameling was anders as enige oratorium (Engels of andersins) wat nog geskryf is. Dit was ontwerp as ‘n sublieme manifest van die goddelikheid van Jesus Christus, deels as ‘n reaksie op die toename van gerasionaliseerde ateïsme en Deïsme.

As ‘n toegewyde Hoë Anglikaan het Jennens Skrifgedeeltes uit veertien boeke van die Ou en Nuwe Testamente gekies en sodoende ‘n mikrokosmos van Christelike leerstellings en geloof aangebied wat ‘n gepaste plegtige vermaak vir die Lent was. Die titelblad van die woordeboek het ‘n leuse uit Virgil se Vierde Ecloog bevat: “Majora canamus” (‘Laat ons van groter dinge sing’), geplaas langs Bybelse aanhalings uit 1 Timoteus 3:16 en Kolossense 2:3 wat verduidelik het dat hierdie ‘groter dinge’ die wysheid en kennis van die Christelike geloof is.

Die gekorrigeerde uitgawe van die woordeboek wat in Londen (1743) gepubliseer is, is waarskynlik noukeuriger deur Jennens toesig gehou; Dit het die inhoud van die drie dele onderverdeel in ‘tonele’ met Romeinse syfers as hoofletters:

Deel 1 begin met Ou-Testamentiese profesieë oor Christus se koms en oorweeg wat die koms van die Messias vir die wêreld sal voorspel; dit word gevolg deur profesieë oor die maagdelike geboorte, en dan die pastorale toneel waarin die engele aan die herders verskyn en Jesus se geboorte verkondig; die eerste deel sluit af met ‘n oorweging van Christus se verlossende wonderwerke tydens sy aardse bediening.

Deel 2 konsentreer op die Messias se verlossende offer, die lydingsverhaal (van sy geseling tot die kruisiging), sy offerdood, die opstanding, sy hemelvaart en God se uiteindelike triomf oor diegene wat die evangelie verwerp.

Deel 3 pas die leerstelling van fisiese opstanding en geestelike verlossing op ons almal toe, en vermaan prominent die mens se sterflikheid en die Oordeelsdag, en sluit die oratorium af met aanbiddende lofprysing van Jesus Christus.

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)

《Messiah》 oratorio, HWV 56 [1741]
(Edition of the 1752 version I)

Lynne Dawson (soprano)
Hillary Summers (contralto)
John Mark Ainsley (tenor)
Alastair Miles (bass)
Crispian Steele-Perkins (baroque trumpet)

The Brandenburg Consort
Roy Goodman (leader)

The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Stephen Cleobury (conductor)

(Recorded live in 1993)

Part I –

Scene 1
[Isaiah’s Prophecy of Salvation]
1.Oveture – 0:00:00
2.recitative accompagnato: “Comfort ye my people” (tenor) – 0:03:06
3.air: “Ev’ry valley shall be exalted” (tenor) – 0:05:56
4.chorus: “And the glory of the Lord” – 0:09:16

Scene 2
[The Coming Judgment]
5.recitative accompagnato: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts” (bass) – 0:12:08
6.air: “But who may abide the day of His coming” (alto) – 0:13:27
7.chorus: “And he shall purify the sons of Levi” – 0:17:32

Scene 3
[The Prophecy of Christ’s Birth]
8.recitative: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive” (alto) – 0:20:09
9.air & chorus: “O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion” (alto & choir) – 0:20:33
10.recitative accompagnato: “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth” (bass) – 0:25:58
11.air: “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light” (bass) – 0:28:01
12.chorus: “For unto us a child is born” – 0:31:18

Scene 4
[The Annunciation to the Shepherds]
13.Pifa (pastorale) – 0:35:20
14.recitative: “There were shepherds abiding in the fields” (soprano) – 0:37:53
15.recitative accompagnato: “And lo, the angel of the Lord” (soprano) – 0:38:06
16.recitative: “And the angel said unto them” (soprano) – 0:38:24
17.recitative accompagnato: “And suddenly there was with the angel” (soprano) – 0:38:55
18.chorus: “Glory to God in the highest” – 0:39:12

Scene 5
[Christ’s Healing and Redemption]
19.air: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion” (soprano) – 0:41:10
20.recitative: “Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened” (soprano) – 0:45:28
21.air: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd” (soprano) – 0:45:52
22.chorus: “His yoke is easy” – 0:50:27

Part II –

Scene 1
[Christ’s Passion]
23.chorus: “Behold the Lamb of God” – 0:53:00
24.air: “He was despised and rejected of men” (alto) – 0:55:23
25.chorus: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” – 1:05:20
26.chorus: “And with his stripes we are healed” – 1:07:05
27.chorus: “All we like sheep have gone astray” – 1:08:52
28.recitative accompagnato: “All they that see him laugh him to scorn” (tenor) – 01:12:44
29.chorus: “He trusted in God that he would deliver him” – 1:13:26
30.recitative accompagnato: “Thy rebuke hath broken his heart” (tenor) – 1:15:46
31.arioso: “Behold and see if there be any sorrow” (tenor) – 1:17:35

Scene 2
[Christ’s Death and Resurrection]
32.recitative accompagnato: “He was cut off” (soprano) – 1:18:58
33.air: “But thou didst not leave his soul in hell” (soprano) – 1:19:15

Scene 3
[Christ’s Ascension]
34.chorus: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates” – 1:21:35

Scene 4
[Christ’s Reception in Heaven]
35.recitative: “Unto which of the angels” (tenor) – 01:24:33
36.chorus: “Let all the angels of God worship Him” – 1:24:53

Scene 5
[The Beginnings of Gospel Preaching]
37.air: “Thou art gone up on high” (alto) – 1:26:27
38.chorus: “The Lord gave the word” – 1:29:37
39.air: “How beautiful are the feet” (soprano) – 1:30:44
40.chorus: “Their sound is gone out” – 1:32:48

Scene 6
[The World’s Rejection of the Gospel]
41.air: “Why do the nations so furiously rage together” (bass) – 01:34:19
42.chorus: “Let us break their bonds asunder” – 1:35:46
43.recitative: “He that dwelleth in heaven” (tenor) – 1:37:28

Scene 7
[God’s Ultimate Victory]
44.air: “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron” (tenor) – 1:37:40
45.chorus: “Hallelujah” – 1:39:39

Part III –

Scene 1
[The Promise of Eternal Life]
46.air: “I know that my Redeemer liveth” (soprano) – 1:43:38
47.chorus: “Since by man came death” – 1:49:28

Scene 2
[The Day of Judgment]
48.recitative accompagnato: “Behold, I tell you a mystery” (bass) – 1:51:30
49.air “The trumpet shall sound” (bass) – 1:52:04

Scene 3
[The Final Conquest of Sin]
50.recitative: “Then shall be brought to pass” (alto) – 2:00:41
51.duet air: “O death, where is thy sting” (alto & tenor) – 2:00:58
52.chorus: “But thanks be to God” – 2:01:59
53.air: “If God be for us, who can be against us” (soprano) – 2:04:10

Scene 4
[The Acclamation of the Messiah]
54.chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb” – 2:09:15
55.chorus: “Amen” – 2:12:26

Baroque_Music

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