Händel’s Messiah

“I did think I did see all Heaven before me and the great God Himself”

- G.F. Händel over het componeren van zijn Messiah

In Angelsaksische landen is het traditie om Messiah, van de Barok componist Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759), rond deze tijd van het jaar uit te voeren. In de mooie Usher Hall werd vandaag voor de 124ste keer het oratorium uitgevoerd, ditmaal door Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, Edinburgh Pro Musica Orchestra en vier solisten, onder leiding van Brian Kay. Ik houd wel van tradities -en al helemaal van Schotse tradities- dus ik besloot om er naar toe te gaan. Ik had Messiah nog nooit eerder gehoord, dus ik liet me verrassen. Ik moet zeggen dat ik erg onder de indruk was van dit populaire meesterwerk! Het klonk verdomd goed voor iets dat in een tijdsbestek van vierentwintig dagen gecomponeerd is!

Zoals de titel al aangeeft gaat het over de Messias, Jezus Christus, en omvat het de kern van de christelijke boodschap. Het oratorium is opgedeeld in drie gedeeltes. Het eerste gedeelte gaat over de Oudtestamentische profetieën wat betreft de komst van de Messias die Verlossing zal brengen; het Lam Gods zal komen. Het tweede gedeelte gaat over de passie: de dood, opstanding en hemelvaart van de Messias; het Lam Gods wordt offerlam. Het laatste deel gaat over de wederkomst van de Messias die Verlossing brengt aan de mensheid, waardoor zonde en dood overwonnen worden en de belofte van eeuwig leven ingewilligd wordt. Het geheel wordt verwoord in het libretto door fragmenten uit het Oude en Nieuwe Testament, samengesteld door Charles Jennens.

Het bekendste stuk is dat met het ‘Hallelujah’-koor. Ik denk dat iedereen dit wel kent, of het in ieder geval herkent als hij of zij het hoort. Het klonk magnifiek! Händel zelf was er ook van onder de indruk:

“Whether I was in my body or out of my body as I wrote it I know not. God knows.”

Het is traditie dat het hele publiek opstaat als het ge-Hallelujah ingezet wordt. Deze traditie stamt uit de tijd dat Messiah voor het eerst in Londen ten gehore werd gebracht. King George II was zo onder de indruk van het geloof dat hij spontaan opstond. En als de koning in de Maas springt, dan moeten alle andere aanwezigen dat volgen, zelfs tot op de dag van vandaag! Eerlijk gezegd gaf dat opstaan ook wel een extra dimensie.

 

Part 1

Grave – Allegro moderato

Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplish’d, that her iniquity is pardon’d. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
(Isaiah 40 : 1-3)

Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, and ev’ry mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight, and the rough places plain.
(Isaiah 40 : 4)

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. And all flesh shall see together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
(Isaiah 40 : 5)

Thus saith the Lord of Hosts: Yet once, a little while, and I will shake the heav’ns and the earth, the sea and the dry land, and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come.
(Haggai 2 : 6-7)

The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, ev’n the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts.
(Malachi 3 : 1)

But who may abide the day of His coming, and who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire.
(Malachi 3 : 2)

And He shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
(Malachi 3 : 3)

Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, “God with us”.
(Isaiah 7 : 14; Matthew 1 : 23)

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain, O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid, say unto the cities of Judah: Behold your God! O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, arise, shine for thy Light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
(Isaiah 40 : 9; Isaiah 60 : 1)

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
(Isaiah 60 : 2-3)

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. And they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
(Isaiah 9 : 2)

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called: Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace!
(Isaiah 9 : 6)

Larghetto e mezzo piano

There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.
(Luke 2 : 8 )

And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.
(Luke 2 : 9)

And the angel said unto them: Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
(Luke 2 : 10-11)

And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heav’nly host, praising God, and saying:
(Luke 2 : l3)

Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men.
(Luke 2 : 14)

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold, thy King cometh unto thee. He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen.
(Zecharaiah 9 : 9-10)

Then shall the eyes of the blind be open’d, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.
(Isaiah 35 : 5-6)

He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, and He shall gather the lambs with His arm; and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
(Isaiah 40 : 11)

Come unto Him all ye that labour, come unto Him that are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him; for He is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
(Matthew 11 : 28-29)

His yoke is easy, and his burden is light.
(Matthew 11 : 30)

Part 2

Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.
(John 1 : 29)

He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
(Isaiah 53 : 3)

He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: He hid not His face from shame and spitting.
(Isaiah 50 : 6)

Surely, He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.
(Isaiah 53 : 4-5)

And with His stripes we are healed.
(Isaiah 53 : 5)

All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned ev’ry one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
(Isaiah 53 : 6)

All they that see Him, laugh Him to scorn; they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying:
(Psalms 22 : 7)

He trusted in God that He would deliver Him, let Him deliver Him, if He delight in Him.
(Psalms 22 : 8 )

Thy rebuke hath broken His heart; He is full of heaviness. He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man, neither found He any to comfort Him.
(Psalms 69 : 20)

Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.
(Lamentations 1 : 12)

He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgressions of Thy people was He stricken.
(Isaiah 53 : 8 )

But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell; nor didst Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.
(Psalms 16 : 10)

Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in! Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in! Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.
(Psalms 24 : 7-10)

The Lord gave the word; great was the company of the preachers.
(Psalms 68 : 11)

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.
(Romans 10 : 15)

Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words unto the ends of the world.
(Romans 10 : 18 / Psalms 19 : 4)

Why do the nations so furiously rage together, and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed.
(Psalms 2 : 1-2)

Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their yokes from us.
(Psalms 2 : 3)

He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn, the Lord shall have them in derision.
(Psalms 2 : 4)

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
(Psalms 2 : 9)

Hallelujah! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
(Revelation 19 : 6)

Hallelujah! The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever.
(Revelation 11 : 15)

King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Hallelujah!
(Revelation 19 : 16)

Part 3

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And tho’ worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.
(Job 19 : 25-26)

I know that my Redeemer liveth: For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep.
(I Corinthians 15 : 20)

Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
(I Corinthians 15 : 21-22)

Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be chang’d, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
(I Corinthians 15 : 51-52)

The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be rais’d incorruptible, and we shall be chang’d.
(I Corinthians 15 : 52-53)

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing and honour, glory and pow’r be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.
(Revelation 5 : 12-13)

Amen!

- G.F. Händel, Messiah (1741)

 

Uiteraard een staande ovatie met daverend applaus!

Om nog even terug te komen op het citaat aan het begin: ik heb tijdens Messiah niet ‘de hemel en God zelf gezien’, maar het klonk hemels goddelijk!

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned.

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness; prepare ye the way of  the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.