Editing George Frideric Handel (section)

=== Oratorio ===
{{further|List of compositions by George Frideric Handel#Oratorios}}

{{multiple image |direction=horizontal
| image1   = Retrato de HandelFXD.jpg|width1=181
| caption1 = Portrait of Handel next to his harpsichord, painted by [[Philip Mercier]] ({{circa|1730}})
| image2   = Handel harpsichord (first quarter of the 18th century, London) by William Smith, with an inscription Gulielmus Smith Londini fecit - Bate Collection, University of Oxford (2007-01-17 @pxhere 1344710).jpg|width2=190
| caption2 = Handel's harpsichord made by William Smith<!-- in London --> (<!-- first quarter of the -->18th c.<!-- entury -->)<ref name=Cole1993>{{cite journal |author=Michael Cole |title=A Handel harpsichord |url=https://academic.oup.com/em/article-abstract/XXI/1/99/476060?redirectedFrom=PDF |format=PDF |journal=Early Music |year=1993 |volume=XXI |issue=February 1993 |pages=99–110 |doi=10.1093/em/XXI.1.99 |quote=illus.1 Single-manual harpsichord by William Smith (Bate Collection, University of Oxford) |access-date=29 April 2022 |archive-date=12 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212010601/https://academic.oup.com/em/article-abstract/XXI/1/99/476060?redirectedFrom=PDF |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Bate Collection of Musical Instruments|Bate Collection]] at the [[Faculty of Music, University of Oxford|Faculty of Music]], [[University of Oxford]]
}}

''[[Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno]]'', an [[allegory]], Handel's first oratorio{{sfn|Marx|1998|p=243}} was composed in Italy in 1707, followed by ''[[La resurrezione]]'' in 1708 which uses material from the Bible. The circumstances of ''[[Esther (Handel)|Esther]]'' and its first performance, possibly in 1718, are obscure.<ref>{{harvnb|National Portrait Gallery|p=157}}</ref> Another 12 years had passed when an act of piracy caused him to take up ''Esther'' once again.<ref>{{harvnb|Larsen|1972|p=15}} Handels Messiah. A distinguished authority on Handel discusses the origins, composition, and sources of one of the great choral works of western civilization.</ref> Three earlier performances<!-- , the first one held on Handel's 47 birthday, --> aroused such interest that they naturally prompted the idea of introducing it to a larger public. Next came ''[[Deborah (Handel)|Deborah]]'', strongly coloured by the coronation anthems<ref>{{harvnb|Larsen|1972|p=26}}</ref> and ''[[Athalia (Handel)|Athaliah]]'', his third English Oratorio.{{sfn|Marx|1998|p=48}} In these three oratorios Handel laid the foundation for the traditional use of the chorus which marks his later oratorios.<ref>{{harvnb|Larsen|1972|p=66}}</ref> Handel became sure of himself, broader in his presentation, and more diverse in his composition.<ref>{{harvnb|Larsen|1972|p=49}}</ref>

It is evident how much he learned from [[Arcangelo Corelli]] about writing for instruments, and from [[Alessandro Scarlatti]] about writing for the solo voice, but there is no single composer who taught him how to write for the chorus.<ref>{{harvnb|Larsen|1972|p=40}}</ref> Handel tended more and more to replace Italian soloists with English ones. The most significant reason for this change was the dwindling financial returns from his operas.<ref>{{harvnb|Larsen|1972|p=33}}</ref> Thus a tradition was created for oratorios which was to govern their future performance. The performances were given without costumes and action; the singers appeared in their own clothes.{{sfn|Burrows|1994|p=217}}

In 1736, Handel produced ''[[Alexander's Feast (Handel)|Alexander's Feast]]''. [[John Beard (tenor)|John Beard]] appeared for the first time as one of Handel's principal singers and became his permanent tenor soloist for the rest of Handel's life.<ref>{{harvnb|Larsen|1972|p=37}}</ref> The piece was a great success and it encouraged Handel to make the transition from writing Italian operas to English choral works. In ''[[Saul (Handel)|Saul]]'', Handel was collaborating with [[Charles Jennens]] and experimenting with three trombones, a carillon and extra-large military kettledrums (from the [[Tower of London]]), to be sure "...it will be most excessive noisy".<ref>{{harvnb|National Portrait Gallery|p=165}}</ref> ''Saul'' and ''[[Israel in Egypt]]'', both from 1739, head the list of great, mature oratorios, in which the da capo aria became the exception and not the rule.<ref>{{harvnb|Larsen|1972|pp=16, 39–41}}</ref> ''Israel in Egypt'' consists of little else but choruses, borrowing from the ''[[The Ways of Zion Do Mourn / Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline|Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline]]''. In his next works, Handel changed his course. In these works he laid greater stress on the effects of orchestra and soloists; the chorus retired into the background.<ref>{{harvnb|Larsen|1972|p=78}}</ref> ''[[L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato]]'' has a rather diverting character; the work is light and fresh.

{{Listen|type=music
|filename=Handel - messiah - 44 hallelujah.ogg|title=Hallelujah Chorus, from ''Messiah'' (1741)|description=The text from ''[[Messiah (Handel)|Messiah]]'' was compiled by [[Charles Jennens]] from the [[Authorized King James Version|King James Bible]] and the ''[[Book of Common Prayer]]''
|filename2=Handel - Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.ogg|title2=Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, from ''Solomon'' (1748)|description2=''[[Solomon (Handel)|Solomon]]'' was first performed at London's Covent Garden Theatre on 17 March 1749, with Act 3, "[[The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba]]", now its most played piece.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schwarm|first=Betsy|title=The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1936046/The-Arrival-of-the-Queen-of-Sheba|publisher=Britannica.com|access-date=14 October 2024}}</ref>
}}
During the summer of 1741, the [[William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire|3rd Duke of Devonshire]] invited Handel to [[Dublin]], capital of the [[Kingdom of Ireland]], to give concerts for the benefit of local hospitals.<ref>{{harvnb|Dent|2004|pp=40–41}}</ref> Composed in London between 22 August and 14 September 1741, Handel's ''[[Messiah (Handel)|Messiah]]'' was first performed at the [[Neale's Musick Hall, Dublin|New Music Hall]] in [[Fishamble Street]], Dublin on 13 April 1742, with 26 boys and five men from the combined choirs of [[St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin|St Patrick's]] and [[Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin|Christ Church]] cathedrals participating.<ref>{{harvnb|Young|1966|p=48}}</ref> Handel secured a balance between soloists and chorus which he never surpassed. In 1746 and 1747, Handel wrote a series of military oratorios – ''[[Judas Maccabaeus (Handel)]]'', ''[[Joshua (Handel)|Joshua]]'' and ''[[Alexander Balus]]'' – which celebrate the British monarchy's victories over the [[Jacobitism|Jacobites]]. In 1747, Handel wrote his oratorio ''Alexander Balus''. This work was produced at Covent Garden Theatre in London, on 23 March 1748, and to the aria ''Hark! hark! He strikes the golden lyre'', Handel wrote the accompaniment for [[mandolin]], [[harp]], violin, viola, and [[violoncello]].{{sfn|Bone|1914|pp=142–144}} Another of his English oratorios, ''[[Solomon (Handel)|Solomon]]'', was first performed on 17 March 1749 at the Covent Garden Theatre.<ref name="Handel Institute">{{cite web|title=G. F. Handel's Compositions|url=http://www.gfhandel.org/43to100.html|publisher=The Handel Institute|access-date=28 September 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924012912/http://gfhandel.org/43to100.html|archive-date=24 September 2013}}</ref> The text for ''Solomon'' is thought to have been penned by the English Jewish poet and playwright [[Moses Mendes]], based on the biblical stories of the wise King [[Solomon]].<ref>Andrew Pink. [http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9913583&fileId=S1478570615000317 "Solomon, Susanna and Moses : locating Handel's anonymous librettist"]. ''Eighteenth Century Music''. vol. 12, issue 2 (September 2015) pp. 211–222.; accessed 14 October 2014</ref> ''Solomon'' contains a short and lively instrumental passage for two oboes and strings in act 3, known as "[[The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba]]".<ref>{{cite news |title=The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Arrival-of-the-Queen-of-Sheba |access-date=1 August 2021 |work=Britannica |archive-date=1 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801203445/https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Arrival-of-the-Queen-of-Sheba |url-status=live }}</ref>

The use of English soloists reached its height at the first performance of ''[[Samson (Handel)|Samson]]''. The work is highly theatrical. The role of the chorus became increasingly important in his later oratorios.<!-- ; ''[[Judas Maccabaeus (oratorio)|Judas Maccabaeus]]'' (1747); ''[[Solomon (oratorio)|Solomon]]'' (1748). The best are based on libretti by [[Charles Jennens]]. --> ''[[Jephtha (Handel)|Jephtha]]'' was first performed on 26 February 1752; even though it was his last oratorio, it was no less a masterpiece than his earlier works.<ref>{{harvnb|Burrows|1994|pp=354–355}}</ref>