
- 336 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
The soundtrack of the Christmas season for many music lovers, Messiah is performed annually by choral societies across the world. And so, perhaps unsurprisingly, many aspects of it have been explored by scholars over the years. The work is the subject of several listeners' guides and there are a number of books and articles of various lengths that describe the biographical circumstances of the work's formation and details of its many performances, many including lists of singers for each performance (an area that has itself spawned a whole field of research).
There has been no extensive study of the creative process of Messiah, however, since 1969. This book seeks to redress this imbalance by providing a thorough investigation of the work's creative process. Beginning with the creative process of the libretto, it examines the earliest sketches, Handel's use of pre-existent material, alterations made to the autograph score, and the latest versions of movements. Each stage of composition is examined via primary source material, with particular reference to the autograph score and conducting score. Each chapter is formed as a case study and contains related discussion points for use in teaching or study settings.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Half Title Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
- List of Musical Examples
- List of Facsimiles
- Abbreviations
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Chapter 1 The Libretto
- Chapter 2 Sketches
- Chapter 3 Pre-Existent Material
- Chapter 4 The Autograph: Method and Construction
- Chapter 5 Autograph Alterations
- Chapter 6 Later Revisions
- General Conclusion
- Appendix A: Libretto sources
- Appendix B: Sketches pertaining to Messiah
- Appendix C/1For unto us/Nò, di voi non vo' fidarmi
- Appendix C/2All we, like sheep/Sò per prova
- Appendix C/3His yoke is easy/Quel fior che all'alba ride
- Appendix C/4And He shall purify/L'occaso ha nell'aurora
- Appendix D: Rejoice
- Appendix E: Alternative movement settings
- Bibliography
- Index