Handel - and the Glory of the Lord

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Harmony: The piece has a simple diatonic harmony and uses major keys throughout. “And the Glory of the lord” is in A major. It also modulates to two related keys which are E major (dominant) and B major (dominant of the dominant). The piece ends with a plagal cadence in A major. Tempo, Rhythm and Metre: “And the Glory of the Lord” has a vast tempo and a dance-like metre (3/4). The piece has a fast tempo, but at the end there is a bar of silence and 3 bars at a slower tempo for a drawn out ending. There are several hemiolas in the piece for example there is a hemiola in the introduction at bars 9-10. Melody and word setting: The first motif “And the Glory of the lord” clearly outlines the tonic chord. The word-setting is syllabic. The second motif “Shall be revealed” has a descending sequence and the word ‘revealed’ is melismatic as it has several notes to each syllable. The third motif “And all flesh shall see it together” has a short descending figure that is repeated twice. The last motif “For the mouth of the lord hath spoken it” has many long notes, which are mostly at the same pitch, this helps to emphasize the words. Texture: The four motifs are often paired together, 1 with 2, and 3 with 4. The piece uses a mixture of homophonic and contrapuntal passages. The entries of the different motives are often staggered. The orchestra often doubles the vocal parts. In the last few bars, the passage contains many block chords. Instrumentation: The piece is written for a SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass) choir. Some vocal parts are accompanied by only continuo (cello and chamber organ) for example the first vocal entry. The alto vocal part is typically performed by a female but in this piece; the alto part is performed by the males. Strings also accompany the choir as well as the continuo. Structure: The movement is based on the 4 motifs. “And the glory of
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