George Frideric Handel by Balthasar Denner

The Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, HWV 264, is an

anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

. It was composed and first performed for the funeral of

Caroline of Ansbach , father = John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach , mother = Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach , birth_date = , birth_place = Ansbach, Principality of Ansbach, Holy Roman Empire , death_date = , death_place = St James's Pala ...

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

on 17 December 1737. Handel slightly re-worked the anthem and used it for the opening section of his oratorio

Israel in Egypt ''Israel in Egypt'', HWV 54, is a biblical oratorio by the composer George Frideric Handel. Most scholars believe the libretto was prepared by Charles Jennens, who also compiled the biblical texts for Handel's '' Messiah''. It is composed ...

in 1739. The theme of the first chorus was taken by

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

as the theme for the ''Requiem aeternam'' movement of his

Requiem Mass A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

. The anthem is approximately forty minutes in length.

Background

Queen Caroline, consort of

George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) ...

, had been friend and patron to Handel for more than thirty years when she died in 1737. An accomplished amateur musician herself, Caroline took a lively interest in artistic and intellectual matters, and was widely mourned at her death. Handel received the commission for her funeral and composed the anthem within a week to a text chosen by the sub-dean of Westminster Abbey, Edward Willes, mostly from the Biblical books of

Lamentations The Book of Lamentations ( he, אֵיכָה, , from its incipit meaning "how") is a collection of poetic laments for the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. In the Hebrew Bible it appears in the Ketuvim ("Writings") as one of the Five Megillot ...

and

Job Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and wants of themselves, others, or a wider community. In the context of economics, work can be viewed as the human activity that contr ...

. At the funeral, according to contemporary accounts, "…the great Bells of the Cathedral of St. Paul and of many Churches in London and Westminster were tolled. And the Tower Guns kept firing all the while, at a Minute’s Distance between each". Handel's anthem was performed in Westminster Abbey by "near 80 vocal performers and 100 instrumental from His Majesty’s band, and from the Opera, etc." The

Duke of Chandos The Dukedom of Chandos is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. First created as a barony by Edward III in 1337, its second creation in 1554 was due to the Brydges family's service to Mary I during Wyatt's rebellion, wh ...

, Handel's former patron, wrote of the anthem "the composition was exceedingly fine, and adapted very properly to the melancholy occasion."

Scoring

The anthem is written for four vocal soloists, soprano, alto, tenor and bass, a mixed choir and orchestra of strings, two oboes, and continuo instruments.

Text

Caroline Wilhelmina of Brandenburg-Ansbach by Charles Jervas

Sinfonia Sinfonia (; plural ''sinfonie'') is the Italian word for symphony, from the Latin ''symphonia'', in turn derived from Ancient Greek συμφωνία ''symphōnia'' (agreement or concord of sound), from the prefix σύν (together) and ϕωνή (sou ...

Chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

: The ways of Zion do mourn and she is in bitterness. (

1:4); all her people sigh (Lamentations 1:11) and hang down their heads to the ground (

2:10). Chorus: How are the mighty fall’n (

Samuel Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...

2, 1:19). She that was great among the nations and princess of the provinces! (

1:1). Chorus: She put on righteousness and it clothed her; her judgment was a robe and a diadem (

29:14). Soli & Chorus: When the ear heard her, then it blessed her, and when the eye saw her, it gave witness of her (

29:11). Chorus: How are the mighty fall’n (Samuel 2, 1:19). She that was great, great among the nations, and princess of the provinces! (Lamentations 1:1) Chorus: She delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless and him that had none to help him (

29:12). Kindness, meekness and comfort were her tongue (

Sirach The Book of Sirach () or Ecclesiasticus (; abbreviated Ecclus.) is a Jewish work, originally in Hebrew, of ethical teachings, from approximately 200 to 175 BC, written by the Judahite scribe Ben Sira of Jerusalem, on the inspiration of his fa ...

36:23); if there was any virtue, and if there was any praise, she thought on those things ( Philippians 4:8). Chorus: How are the mighty fall’n (

2, 1:19). She that was great, great among the nations, and princess of the provinces! (Lamentations 1:1) Soli & Chorus: The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance (

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

112:6) and the wise will shine as the brightness of the firmament (

Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...

12:3). Chorus: Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth evermore (

44:13). Chorus: The people will tell of their wisdom and the congregation will shew forth their praise (

44:14); their reward also is with the Lord and the care of them is with the Most high (

Wisdom of Solomon The Book of Wisdom, or the Wisdom of Solomon, is a Jewish work written in Greek and most likely composed in Alexandria, Egypt. Generally dated to the mid-first century BCE, the central theme of the work is "wisdom" itself, appearing under two p ...

5:15). Soli: They shall receive a glorious kingdom and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand (

5:16). Chorus: The merciful goodness of the Lord endureth for ever on them that fear him and his righteousness on children’s children (

Psalm The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

103:17).

Musical features

The anthem begins with a chorus that recalls the

chorale Chorale is the name of several related musical forms originating in the music genre of the Lutheran chorale: * Hymn tune of a Lutheran hymn (e.g. the melody of "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme"), or a tune in a similar format (e.g. one of the t ...

s used in the Lutheran church services Handel attended and composed music for as a young man. The musical material is developed contrapuntally and ends in an impressive fugue. Tender choruses "When the ear heard her" and "She delivered the poor", expressing the Queen's gentle character, alternate with repeated and powerful choral interjections of "How are the mighty fall'n." The work comes to a quiet conclusion. Musical historian and Handel's first biographer,

Charles Burney Charles Burney (7 April 1726 – 12 April 1814) was an English music historian, composer and musician. He was the father of the writers Frances Burney and Sarah Burney, of the explorer James Burney, and of Charles Burney, a classicist a ...

, ranked "The Funeral Anthem of Queen Caroline" as the finest of all Handel's compositions. The chorus "Their bodies are buried in peace" quotes the music of

Jacob Handl Jacobus Gallus (a.k.a. Jacob(us) Handl, Jacob(us) Händl, Jacob(us) Gallus; sl, Jakob Petelin Kranjski; between 15 April and 31 July 155018 July 1591) was a late-Renaissance composer of presumed Slovene ethnicity.Skei/Pokorn, Grove online Born ...

's setting of '' Ecce quomodo moritur justus''. ''Ecce quomodo moritur justus'' by Jacob Handl at

Choral Public Domain Library The Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL) is a sheet music archive which focuses on choral and vocal music in the public domain or otherwise freely available for printing and performing (such as via permission from the copyright holder). It is a ...

(ChoralWiki)Clifford Bartlett (editor)
George Frideric Handel: ''Israel in Egypt'' Part I – ''The Ways of Zion do Mourn''.
Carus Verlag No. 55.264, 2008, p. IV

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control Anthems by George Frideric Handel 1737 compositions Funerary and memorial compositions Caroline of Ansbach