BACKGROUND

Handel was born in Saxony, Germany and spent his early life from the age of 18 working as a composer of opera in Hamburg. However, he soon became restless and ambitious, so decided to travel to Italy – the birthplace of opera - and it was here that early operas such as Rodrigo were written. Further travel took the young Handel to Rome, Naples and Venice where his opera Agrippina was performed.

However, he then returned north to Hanover to take up the position as Kapellmeister to the Elector. This position offered him sabbatical leave during which he travelled in 1710 to England. Here he was a great success satisfying a growing demand for opera at the time. Purcell and Blow had recently died and Handel found himself in the perfect environment to make a name for himself. His opera Rinaldo was a huge success at the Queen’s theatre in London and his reputation as a composer was growing in stature.

However, Handel had to return to his employment with the Elector in Hanover. It was not until 1712 that Handel returned to England for the second time and then made this country his home. On the death of Queen Anne in 1713 (only months after the birthday ode had been first performed in February) Handel’s employer, the Elector of Hanover became George I of England as the throne passed in succession to him from the childless Queen Anne! Handel thus was able to spend his working life in England.

The work comes from this first period of Handel’s creative life, written when he was just 28.


Statue of Queen Anne outside the West Front of St Paul’s Cathedral

The ode for the 49^th birthday celebrations of Queen Anne is a secular cantata composed by Handel in 1713 to a libretto by Ambrose Philips. The work celebrates the Queen’s birthday as well as the successful negotiations of the Tory government of the day which led to the Treaty of Utrecht and the resultant end the War of the Spanish Succession. This is summarised in each of the sections of the cantata which concludes in a refrain to the words

The day that gave great Anne birth
Who fixed a lasting peace on earth

In England, Handel certainly knew how to ‘win friends and influence people’ and was an exemplary networker! He wasted no time in ingratiating himself into high society, so much so that he was commanded to write the birthday ode in favour of the Queen’s own Master of Music at that time. He was even paid the princely sum of £200 as a pension from the Queen as an inducement to stay in England.

Other works completed in 1713 for the church included the Utrecht Te Deum and the Jubilate. The first performance of these works and the Birthday Ode was given in St. Paul’s Cathedral on 7 July. In all three pieces, Handel modelled himself on Purcell.


Purcell

The cantata was the obvious choice of form for such a work as the birthday ode. Its origins can be found in the Italian chamber cantatas of the late 16^th century. In the hands of J.S. Bach (who composed some 250 works in the genre) the form reached its peak. This type of work contained a number of arias, duets, instrumental and choral sections. They existed in two distinct forms – sacred and secular works. Our piece, due to the subject of the text is a secular work.
Handel divides the text into 9 movements, each of which concludes with a vocal chorus in praise of Queen Anne (see text above). The first section of each movement features a solo or duet.

NOTES ON THE MUSIC:

Melody: The melodies take two forms. The chorus melodies generally are syllabic settings used to reinforce the clarity of the text whereas much of the solo writing is florid and melismatic (many notes to a syllable or word).

Listen to any of the chorus sections to hear the ‘forte’ declamations of the text. There are also many examples of the florid style of melodic writing. The very opening movement at bar 1 has a good example on the word ‘eternal’ Music example 1: movement 1 bars 1-5, 9-12 etc.

The whole work contains numerous examples of word painting such as this. For example, in the same movement the word ‘light’ is set to a high top A (just before the chorus entry). The text of ‘with double warmth thy beams display’ is set as a canon (one part copying another note for note) at the interval of an octave and a fourth. This gives literal emphasis to the word ‘double.’ In the line ‘to add a lustre’ Handel cleverly adds strings to the texture!

Further examples of melodic word setting can be found throughout the entire ode. This practice was something that baroque composers seized with alacrity.

Music example 2: movement 2 long melismas on ‘lasting’

Music example 3: movement 5 ‘rolling stones’ provided by long florid solo passages.

There are many further examples that will be easily identified throughout the entire piece.

The melodies sung by the soloists are often constructed in long phrases and exploit larger vocal ranges. The chorus parts on the whole are more straightforward.

Another feature of the melodic lines - and a feature too of Baroque music generally- is the use of ornamented vocal lines. In a da capo aria (ABA form) such as in movement 6, it was customary to ornament the repeat of section A for variety. Listen to this in the programme!

Rhythm:There are several types of rhythm employed in this work.

For the florid passages, Handel uses semiquaver passage work to great effect. The opening solo melody combines this feature with both dotted and tied notes. In the work as a whole, the rhythms are fairly conventional and on the beat with little use of syncopations, although Handel sometimes uses a rhythmic pattern for a particular musical effect. For example, the orchestral introduction to the third movement sets up the imagery of flight later sung to the words ‘let all the winged race with joy’ in the two demisemiquaver-semiquaver beat groupings.
The singer also takes on this feature in her melodic part.

Music example 4: movement 3, opening 20 bars.

Rhythm is also a salient feature of the ground bass ostinato of movement 5 ‘let rolling streams’ This rhythm of quaver-quaver- semiquaver rest- three semiquavers and two quavers pervades the whole movement. Another example of word painting too as the bass rolls on by!

Several movements adopt dance forms and metres and the rhythm then is characteristic of that particular dance. For example, the Pastoral nature of movement 4 is a lilting 6/8 Siciliana dance. Handel also features a similar rhythmic feeling in movement 6, this time in 12/8 time.

Music example 5: opening section of movement 4 and movement 3, opening 20 bars and opening of movement 6.

Yet another rhythmic effect is found in movement 7 where Handel emphasises the second beat in each bar in triple time. This is a rhythmic feature found in the Sarabande (a baroque dance movement).

Harmony: The music is tonal with modulations to related keys. The choice of D major by Handel was usual for celebratory works and of course appropriate to accommodate the trumpets in D.

The chords used are diatonic (in the key of the music).

Harmonic devices such as pedals (sustained notes), harmonic sequences (chords moving in sequence), and suspensions (dissonance caused by suspending a melody note over a chord change. These are first prepared, then suspended and finally resolved.)
Handel also uses the diminished 7^th chord for dramatic effect.

Texture: There are many types of subtle musical textures in the work These textures constantly vary and change, but include many examples of:

Homophony - this is the overriding texture in the choruses in which the words can be clearly heard as the parts move together.
Music example 6: chorus to movement 4 and chorus of movement 5.

Imitation/Polyphony – each chorus features section of parts copying each other in imitation. Indeed in every chorus you will hear the two principal music textures of homophony and polyphony at work. There is much use of imitation too in the solos and duets. Listen to the opening tenor soloist imitated by the trumpet and organ. Music example 1.Listen to the imitation between the soloists in movements 5, 6 and 7 too.

Dialoguing – there are many short examples of the melody shared between parts in the form of a musical dialogue. The most effective use is in the chorus and echo chorus of movement 9 ‘united nations shall combine’ Music example 7: movement 9 bars 1 to 14. This creates what is known as an antiphonal exchange between the two choirs. This type of musical texture was very popular in the polychoral style of Renaissance music, where choirs and instruments were spatially separated around a building for textural contrasts.

Monophony - only the occasional short unaccompanied solo is evident in this work

Octaves – There are many examples of this particular texture, for example the opening vocal bars of movement 8 ‘let envy then conceal her head’ Music example 8: movement 8, bars 25-35 and the accompaniment parts in ‘rolling streams’ Music example 9: movement 5 from the start.

Dynamics: As was the convention, dynamics were conceived on two levels – loud and soft. This is called terraced dynamics. A good example from the work of this can be heard in movement 9, as one loud chorus is answered ‘piano’ by the echo chorus. See music example 7.

Structure: Nine separate movements, all concluding with a chorus. In terms of the structure of each movement, Handel employs a variety of forms including ground bass, da capo aria (ternary) and even one in which there are just three different sections as A, B and C (movement 8). In the choruses the text determines the structure with each line often set to new music:

1. Eternal source of light divine
With double warmth thy beams display,
And with distinguish'd glory shine,
To add a lustre to this day.



2. The day that gave great Anna birth
Who fix'd a lasting peace on earth.

3. Let all the winged race with joy
Their wonted homage sweetly pay,
Whilst tow'ring in the azure sky
They celebrate this happy day:
The day that gave great Anna birth
Who fix'd a lasting peace on earth.

4. Let rolling streams their gladness show
With gentle murmurs whilst they play,
And in their wild meanders flow,
Rejoicing in this blessed day.
The day that gave great Anna birth
Who fix'd a lasting peace on earth.

5. Kind health descends on downy wings;
Angels conduct her on the way.
T'our glorious Queen new life she brings,
And swells our joys upon this day.

6. The day that gave great Anna birth
Who fix'd a lasting peace on earth.

7. Let envy then conceal her head,
And blasted faction glide away.
No more her hissing tongues we'll dread,
Secure in this auspicious day.
The day that gave great Anna birth
Who fix'd a lasting peace on earth.

8. United nations shall combine,
To distant climes the sound convey
That Anna's actions are divine,
And this the most important day!
The day that gave great Anna birth
Who fix'd a lasting peace on earth.

Instrumentation: Baroque orchestra – strings, harpsichord and organ continuo, trumpets, oboes, timpani, SATB choir and soprano, alto and bass soloists.