WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Classical Context: Messiah, G.F. Handel

Episode Date: April 7, 2025

A centuries-long classic, Messiah is easily one of the most famous works of music ever written. Explore 3 key movements in work depicting the Messianic salvation of mankind…

Hello, I'm your host, Peter Andrews, and you're listening to Classical Context on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. Today we'll be looking at a piece of choral music, an oratorio that's remained massively popular for centuries. Handel's Messiah is one of his most famous and enduring works, composed in 1741. As an oratorio, it features orchestra, choir, and soloists, telling the story of the life and significance of Jesus Christ through scriptural texts. The work is divided into three parts. The first focuses on the prophecy and birth of Christ, the second on his passion and suffering, and the third on his resurrection and eternal glory.

We'll be looking at just three movements here today. Here's the chorus titled For Unto Us, A Child is Born. Handel's use of the choir in this movement brings out both the grandeur and the sacred nature of the text, which announces the birth of the Savior. The opening words are set in majestic, strong chords, establishing a tone of divine importance. The music then swells and crescendos as the chorus proclaims the titles of Christ,

wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. The music's structure, with its flowing counterpoint and dynamic shifts, enhances the message of divine majesty and the hope that this child brings. Now for the aria called Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion. Rejoice greatly is one of the most exhilarating arias in Handel's Messiah. The soprano's role is demanding, with rapid, ornamented runs that seem to mirror the excitement and urgency of the words. Handel elevates the repeated word, rejoice, by giving the phrase energetic leaps in pitch, creating a sense of celebration and rapture. The accompanying orchestra, with its vibrant strings and bright sparkling textures, complements the vocal line beautifully.

Finally, here's the aria and chorus, He Was Despised. He Was Dispised portrays the suffering and rejection of the must. Messiah, sung by the alto or meso-soprano, is one of the most somber moments in the oratorio. Handel's use of dissonance and chromaticism creates an aching tension that reflects the action described in the text. The sorrowful mood is heightened by the sparse orchestration, with strings in continual playing in a restrained and almost grieving manner. The contrast in chorus that follows shifts the tone to one of collective mourning,

underlining the text depiction of the Messiah's humiliation and pain. I highly recommend you sit down and listen to the entirety of this piece. My personal favorite recording is from the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, directed by Sir Neville Mariner, available wherever you listen to music. And if you'd like to hear this piece live, it will be performed by the Hillsdale College Department of Music later this April. I'm your host, Peter Andrews, and I'll see you next time, right here on Classical Context on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.