Chapter 10Baroque Vocal Music

Oratorio

Key Terms

Oratorio

Chorus

Secco recitative

Accompanied recitative

Baroque Sacred Music

Baroque sacred music placed special emphasis on the choir•Rooted in Renaissance Mass & motet

Strong tendency to borrow from secular vocal music, especially opera•Used recitative & aria•Featured virtuoso solo singing

Oratorio the most theatrical Baroque religious genre

Oratorio

Basically an opera on a religious subject•Often on an Old Testament story•Narrative plot presented in several acts•Real characters & implied action•Used recitatives & arias

Differed from opera in some respects•Presented in concert form (no scenery,

costumes, staging, or gestures)• Incorporated many more choruses

Chorus

Similar to Renaissance choral music•Alternation between polyphony & homophony•Some text painting

Incorporates Baroque theatrical features•Chorus used to narrate story, comment on the

action, or even participate in the action•Dramatic contrasts & rests used to build

tension & excitement•Voices & orchestra provide maximum fullness

Handel, Messiah

Handel’s most famous work

Composed in only 23 days

Unlike other Handel oratorios•Not a real “story” with characters taking roles•Text taken entirely from the Bible•Uses anonymous narrators & commentators•Narrates episodes from Jesus’s life (recitative)•Comments on episodes (recitative, aria, &

chorus)

Recitative “There were shepherds” (1)

Angels announce Christ’s birth

Short dramatic scene!•Narrator tells the story in recitative style

Recitative in four parts•Alternates between secco recitative &

accompanied recitative•Parts 1 & 3 (secco) conversational in style with

free rhythm & continuo accompaniment•Parts 2 & 4 (accompanied) very melodic with

clear meter & orchestral accompaniment

Recitative “There were shepherds” (2)

Accompanied recitative reserved for special, dramatic moments•Part 2 describes the appearance of an angel

Strings provide a kind of musical halo

•Part 4 marks the sudden arrival of a multitude of angels

Parts 3 & 4 accelerate the pace•Move from secco recitative to accompanied

recitative (arioso!)•They pull us straight into the chorus

Chorus “Glory to God” (1)

Recitative & chorus• Instead of operatic recitative & aria formula

Text from Luke 2:8-14Choir participates in the action•Takes role of the multitude of angels

Vivid contrasts between musical settings of the three phrases—•“Glory to God in the highest!”•“And peace on earth”•“Good will toward men”

Chorus “Glory to God” (2)

“Glory to God in the highest!”•High voices singing high pitches•Rhythmic unison gives words unanimity•Trumpets add to energetic, marchlike effect

“And peace on earth”•Low voices singing low pitches•Begins with a nearly monophonic texture•Slow, soft, calm, simple, unadorned

Chorus “Glory to God” (3)

“Good will toward men”•Lively passage in fugal style• Imitative entrances–as if all creation echoed

the angels’ proclamation•Two-note “good will” motive intensified in

ascending sequence toward the end

Chorus “Glory to God” (4)

Orchestral ending gets quieter & quieter•Baroque equivalent of fade out•Angels disappear as quickly as they appeared

“There were shepherds” & “Glory to God” (1)

Recitative:There were shepherds

abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks 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.

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.

“There were shepherds” & “Glory to God” (2)

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying:

Chorus:Glory to God in the

highest!

And peace on earth.

Glory to God in the highest!

And peace on earth.

Good will toward men.

Glory to God in the highest.

And peace on earth.

Good will toward men.

Handel, Hallelujah Chorus (1)

Famous chorus ends Part II of MessiahAt 1st London performance, King George II was so moved that he stood up•Even today, English-speaking audiences often

stand for Hallelujah Chorus

As in “Glory to God,” Handel uses a different texture for each phrase•Homophony–“Hallelujah” & “The kingdom of

this world”•Monophony–“For the Lord God”•Polyphony–”And he shall reign”

Handel, Hallelujah Chorus (2)

•Homophony–“Hallelujah”

•Polyphony–”And he shall reign”

Handel, Hallelujah Chorus (3)

Many dramatic moments—“The Kingdom of this world is become”•Starts piano on low descending scale•At the words “the kingdom of our Lord” it

swells suddenly to forte in higher register•Vividly expresses transformation described by

text

“King of Kings”• Intensifying sequence near the end•Sopranos lead, others answer, higher with

each repetition

Hallelujah Chorus

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Hallelujah!For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.The Kingdom of this world is become the

kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.And He shall reign for ever and ever, and he

shall reign for ever and ever.KING OF KINGS for ever and ever, Hallelujah!AND LORD OF LORDS for ever and ever,

Hallelujah!