GEORGE FRIEDRIC HANDEL How Beautiful Are The Feet
How Beautiful Are The Feet
Bridget Mermikides has arranged this extract from one of Handel’s best known and loved works, The Messiah, for classical guitar.
HANDEL’S ZADOK THE PRIEST HAS BEEN PERFORMED AT EVERY CORONATION FROM GEORGE II TO ELIZABETH II
This month Bridget Mermikides arranges and transcribes this beautiful aria from The Messiah, for solo guitar.
Born in the same year as last issue’s featured composer JS Bach, the German-turned-British composer George Friedric Handel (1685-1759) is also regarded as one of the greatest and most influential composers of the Baroque era, and indeed the entire canon of Western Art Music. His remarkable catalogue of works has long been praised for both its technical skill and dramatic power. Among these, several pieces have been used at key historical events, during his lifetime and to the present day, and are embedded in popular as well as classical music culture. Zadok The Priest, for example has been performed at all 10 coronations from George II to Elizabeth II. His Water Music and Firework Music are regular – almost default – accompaniments to appropriate occasions. His 40 operas have been staples throughout the generations, and selections from which are well known components of British culture – for example The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba from Solomon was used at the opening of London’s 2012 Olympic Games. Here, however, I have selected an aria from perhaps his most celebrated work, the 1741 oratorio Messiah.
An oratorio may be thought of as similar to as an opera in that it is a large-scale dramatic work using choir, soloist and an instrumental ensemble. However, while operas are theatrically staged and often involve historical and mythological themes, oratorios are designed for the concert stage, and take religious themes as their narrative. Therefore in The Messiah, Handel wrote (in a staggering 24 days) a series of 53 beautiful movements distributed over three parts, each with several scenes. The famous Hallelujah chorus (movement 44 Part II) bends Part II in dazzling fashion. In fact it’s staggering just how many Handel compositions we all actually know.
Here I’ve taken the contrastingly tranquil and sublime movement 38 (Part II Scene V) How Beautiful Are The Feet (Of Him). I’ve taken his 1749 revision, arranged as an aria for soprano in G Minor in 12/8 time (as well as the 1750 version for alto in C Minor). The 12/8 time (a slow four-in-a-bar feel, each beat subdivided into three quavers), together with the elegant Baroque harmony provides the perfect support for the melody.
Here I’ve transposed the original key up a tone to A Minor to make this more idiomatic. However, as is often the case with solo guitar arrangements, there is a challenge in keeping the melody well heard and connected above the accompaniment. But this practice investment is well worth it, as this is a very beautiful and rewarding piece to play.
NEXT MONTH Bridget tabs the Hebrew Slaves Chorus from Nabucco, by Giuseppe Verdi