LAM 34: Handel - Messiah No. 41

Together with the preceding bass aria, this chorus expresses the one affection of rage; rage at the hostile reception the Apostles encountered. The movement contains much closely woven counterpoint involving the two subjects, one for each phrase of text.

Subject 1 (for 'Let us break their bonds asunder') has two motives; a falling 4th, heard in descending sequences, and a semiquaver figure. Handel begins with Tenor and Soprano a beat apart followed by Bass and Alto 2 bars later. The material is used imitatively once again in Soprano & Tenor, then Bass & Alto from 5 - 9 but the second pair enter after only one bar. The use of stretti is a key feature of the movement and Subject 1 is heard in close imitation from 23 - 34 of which bars 31 - 34 contain voice entries separated by 1, or 2 beats. The appearance of the same subject beginning at different parts of the bars allows the text to be emphasised in different ways since the stress on the 1st beat of the bar falls on different syllables.

Subject 2 (for 'and cast away...') has three motives; falling 3rds covering a 7th, semiquaver runs and a hammering idea. Like subject 1, subject 2 is very angular and the rhythmic impetus also matches the physicality of the text. Subject 2 is heard in strict canon between the Tenor & Alto from 10 - 14. When the Soprano joins in at 15, the Tenor & Alto continue with a hammering idea. From 35 - 43 the subject appears in stretto and the semiquaver runs are extended. An even more striking stretto of this subject is heard from bar 47 following on the heels of subject 1 in stretto. The increase in excitement culminates in a hemiola in bars 52 - 54 and then subject 1 recurs leading to another hemiola only a few bars later. The movement ends with the orchestra presenting both subjects in stretto.

Although this movement displays Handel's contrapuntal skill, it also shows his willingness to vary the texture of his music. It is only from bar 41 to the end that four parts together is the norm (with a few brief exceptions). Both ideas produce 10ths or 3rds between the voices (bars 1 - 2 and bars 36 - 37). Although the music tends to cadence frequently, the momentum is maintained by telescoping entries and dovetailing sections. In fact the two distinct subjects give the movement a clear form of A (1 - 9), B (10 - 23), A1 (23 - 34), B1 (35 - 44), C1 (45 - 59) and the Coda . The movement becomes contrapuntally more intricate as it progresses and the piling of entries on top of one another is the main way in which Handel depicts rage.

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