Handel

1. Handel Close Analysis and cadences

2. Cadences • A cadence is a type of musical ending. It’s like a full stop or comma at the end of a sentence. There are 4 types you will need to be able to recognize • Perfect Cadence: Musical full stop. The Music sounds finished. Chords V to I (5 to 1) • Imperfect cadence: Musical comma. Music is just resting, feels unfinished. Commonly chords I to V (1 to 5) or IV to V (4 to 5)

3. Cadences • A cadence is a type of musical ending. It’s like a full stop or comma at the end of a sentence. There are 4 types you will need to be able to recognize • Plagal Cadence: Musical full stop. Has an ‘amen’ feel, softer ending. Chords IV to I (4 to 1) • Interrupted cadence: You expect a perfect cadence, but instead of V to I, you get V to VI (5 to 6)

4. Bars 1-11 • Orchestral intro. Ideas 1 and 2 stated • Uses a hemiola rhythm in bars 9-10 • Hemiola: Device used near cadence points where notes are grouped in 2 beats • Suspensions are used at bars 9-10 • Suspensions: Where a note from the previous chord is held into the next bar and then resolved • The introduction ends with a perfect cadence • The harmonic rhythm (how many chords per bar) is either 1 per bar, or 2+1

5. Bars 11-14(beat 1) • Alto enters with Idea 1 (mf) • Mainly syllabic • Perfect cadence in A major bars 13-14

6. Bars 14-17 • Loud (f) chordal response from sopranos, tenors and basses • Homophonic Texture • Melody is heard in the bass, which often happens in the chordal/homophonic sections • Perfect cadence at bars 16-17

7. Bars 17-22 • Imitative entries of idea 2: • Tenor Bar 17 • Bass Bar 19 • Soprano Bar 20 • Bars 21-22 modulating (changing key) to E Major

8. Bars 22-33 • In E major • Ideas 1 and 2 combine • Idea 1: Tenor (bar 22) and Soprano (bar 25) • Idea 2: Alto (bar 25) and tenor (bar 28) • This results in 2 part counterpoint and has a polyphonic texture • Lots of perfect cadences in this section (e.g bar 24-25)

9. Bars 33-38 • Strong, 4 part homophonic version of idea 1 in E major • Melody is in the bass again • “Shall be revealed” is tagged onto the end of idea 1

10. Bars 38-43 • Orchestral link using idea 2 “shall be revealed” • Bars 38-39 use sequences • Bars 41-42: Hemiola rhythms • Bar 42: Suspension • Ends with a perfect cadence at 42-43

11. Bars 43-50 • Idea 3 introduced (started by the alto) • Thin vocal texture in comparison to chorus sections • Back to A major • A major emphasized with strong A C# E crotchet movement in the bass (bars 43-45) • Perfect cadence in A major (46-47)

12. Bars 51-57 • Tenor and bass introduce Idea 4 • Repeated notes act as a tonic pedal • Sopranos sing idea 3 above this, creating a 4 part polyphonic texture • Perfect cadence ends the section

13. Bars 58-73 • Sopranos launch idea 4 on E • Alto tenor and bass enter at bar 59 with idea 3 • This small section ends with a plagal cadence at bar63 • We then have lots of imitation, during which the key modulates to E major

14. Bars 74-83 • Short orchestral link based on idea 1 takes us to a 4 part homophonic statement of idea 1 in B major • Idea 3 follows, but in a different texture (what texture is this?) • All parts come together in strong homophony on the word ‘together’ • This is a pause as it uses an imperfect cadence and momentum carries on straight afterwards

15. Bars 83-102 • B major • Sopranos sing idea 4 on top F#. Every time this idea comes back, the pitch is higher (A E F#) • Handel now brings all 4 musical ideas together • Full texture at bars 93-94 • Bars 93-102: Handel uses ideas 1,2 and 4 in different parts • During this section, music modulates to E major • Ends with a perfect cadence in E major (Bars 101-102)

16. Bars 102-124 • A Major • Altos lead with idea 3, though this is fragmented to 1 bar echoes in the tenor and bass to reduce the texture before the final section • 105-106: Parts added to emphasize words “shall see it together” • Over this the sopranos have idea 1, reaching a climatic top A at bar 110 on the word ‘lord’ • This is answered by the three lower parts • Imitative entries follow • At bars 118 idea 3 is heard, with idea 4 in the bass on the note of E (dominant pedal) • Section ends with an imperfect cadence

17. Bars 124-134 • Idea 4 dominates this section, signaling the end • This time we hear it on the tonic note (A) • This section has already been hear at bars 51-55, expect the voices have swapped parts (invertible counterpoint) • The pieces comes to a sudden halt at bar 133. Handel often does this for dramatic effect

18. Bars 134-138 • A dramatic 3 beat rest in all voice parts leads to the final grand and slow (adagio) plagal cadence in 4 part homophony adding emphasis to the words “Hath spoken it”

19. Listening and Appraising • How is the joyful mood or ‘affection’ of this chorus achieved by Handel? • Name 3 different types of musical texture that appear in this chorus • Name the 4 voice parts that perform this chorus • What instruments accompany the singers? • How many different ideas are used by Handel? • Identify 2 ways that the last 3 bars are given a dramatic ending • Give bar numbers where you can heara) One voice partb) two voice partsc) Three voice parts d) 4 voice parts • In general how are the words set to the music? • How is the word ‘revealed’ treated throughout the piece?