Choral Music in the Baroque Period

He Was Despised - no.23 from Handel's Messiah

Handel's Messiah is an oratorio which is an extended composition for vocal soloists, chorus and orchesta based on scripture and biblical stories.
He Was Despised is an aria for alto
Tells the story of how Jesus was rejected by the people, but also tells how he rose above that and 'hid his face' from 'shame and spitting'
Could be given as an example of a contrasting aria to 'the Trumpet Shall Sound'

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Da Capo Aria (so ABA and ternary)
Has an A section and a contrasting B section, Da Capo is full A section repeat
The A section is split in two by a ritornello
There is an opening ritornello, a ritornello in the A section and one between A/B

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Key of Eb - wistful (interestingly, mournful section is in a major key and bold section is in minor)
Largo tempo is mournful
In opening ritornello violins introduce melody. 3-quaver falling figure is imitated in descending sequence by violins, with a trill - wordpainting, mournful falling and trill could denote crying
p dynamic /sparse texture of imitation like a sorrowful echo
Dissonance/unease created by plaintive-sounding flattened 3rds (Gb)
Voice enters, phrases are interjected by falling figure on violins (vocal line feels fragmented and lacks flow - adds to sense of dispair)
Voice elaborates melody with appogiaturas which could denote wailing
Use of melisma also denotes crying/wailing, on the word 'sorrows'
Sorrows sung on a downwards scale (word painting)
Elongation and Gb on word 'grief' (dissonance)

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For the second part of the A section, music is in Fm (supertonic minor). Motif is inverted.
Use of same motif for 'despised' and 'rejected' creates emphasis, interval gets smaller (rises) builds tension
Use of 9-8 suspensions to create dissonance
Borrowed and unexpected chords: Gm and Ebm
After dissonant harmony, Fmin7 is like a relief after the word 'grief'
Use of diminished 7ths (A dim7 on the word 'grief')
Towards end of A.2, instruments drop out and voice/violin imitation are alone, the sparse texture emphasising Jesus' solitude
Free rhythmic feel and use of rubato - intense emotion, wailing

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B section is completely contrasting
Much faster tempo
In relative minor (C minor) - mood of tension, spite, triumph
Very rhythmic, mostly on the beat using crotchets/quavers, lots of rests, no rubato/free feel (determination)
Much more syllabic (determined/bold)
Lots of repetition ('he gave his back to the smiters') to reiterate points
Disjunct 'he gave his back', 'plucked of his hair' - forceful
Lots of triadic movement (regal/fanafare-like)
Cycle of 5ths/ascending sequence ('and his cheeks to them that plucked off his hair') builds tension
Driving semiquaver rhythm in strings
Much less legato
Ends in perfect cadence in Gm - block chords (dramatic)
Constant texture creates tension/intensity
'For shame and spitting' just voice (dramatic climax), answered by emphatic perfect cadence
Long note on 'shame'
Fuller texture (melody and accompaniment rather than homophony)

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about the power of Christ over death, and how the living and the dead will be transformed into spiritual bodies
Da Capo Aria (but opening ritornello isn't repeated)
Bass with trumpet obligato
D major - triumphant, joyful key, themes of intense joy/spirituality (and idiomatic for trumpet)
Ritornello begins with triadic fanfare on the trumpet, imitation between trumpet and strings - jubilant
Vocal melody is triadic/fanfare like
Voice imitates the sound of a trumpet
Vocal phrases interjected by trumpet
Sonorous bass voice and long note on 'sound' (5 beat long high D) - intensity
Falls then rises on 'raised'
Syllabic words 'incorruptable' on imperfect cadence create a strong and certain statement, which is word painting
'We shall be changed' - melismatic semiquavers in ascending sequence literally paint a picture of changing, later it's French dotted
Interrputed cadence on 'and we shall be changed' - slight hint at some uncertainty, however the uncertainty is extinguished with the phrase repeated on a definite perfect cadence

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B section is in B minor, subject matter is more serious as it talks about 'immortality' and everyone must become immortal
No trumpet/strings, less jubilant, much thinner texture (just melody and accompaniment)
Descending then ascending sequence and melisma on 'immortality' - everlasting/eternal so long note
Modulation to dominant F#m on 'immortal' also shows uplifting/life
Below this there is a cycle of 5ths, denoting endless life and spreading excitement/anticipation

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