Edexcel Gcse Music: Handel And The Glory Of The Lord

Front 1

Year of composition

Back 1

1742

Front 2

Period of piece

Back 2

Baroque

Front 3

Features of Baroque music

Back 3

Baroque orchestra=strings, few woodwind, brass and timpani
One mood
Energetic rhythms
Purposeful bassline - basso continuo usually by cello

Front 4

Genre of the piece

Back 4

(1st) Chorus from an Oratorio

Front 5

What is an oratorio?

Back 5

A religious musical work

Front 6

What is the name of this oratorio?

Back 6

The Messiah

Front 7

Where would this piece be traditionally performed?

Back 7

At Easter, now played at Christmas

Front 8

Where would it be performed?

Back 8

Concert halls, churches

Front 9

Instrumentation

Back 9

SATB choir
Small string orchestra of violin 1& 2, Viola and Cello
Basso Continuo played by cello, double bass and organ

Front 10

Tempo and Rhythm

Back 10

Allegro until the ending whicb is adagio(slow)
In triple time (3/4)
Some hemiolas - when music that is in triple time temporarily sounds like it is in 2/4 for two bars

Front 11

Tonality

Back 11

A major (3 sharps)
Entirely in major keys to convey the joyful mood
Starts and ends in A major
Modulates to E major (dominant) and B major (dominant of dominant)

Front 12

Harmony

Back 12

Most cadences are perfect but the final cadence is plagal.
Chords are diatonic

Front 13

Texture

Back 13

Use of homophony where all four parts move together.
Monophonic when only one part is singing at the start of lines.
Counterpoint when 2 different ideas combine together.
Imitation when the same idea is copied in another part.

Front 14

Melody

Back 14

4 main melodic ideas:
-"And the glory of the Lord" - syllabic
-"Shall be revealed" -melismatic, sequence
-"And all flesh shall see it together" repetition
-"For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it"- long notes emphasise words, almost all the same notes.