''Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate'' is the common name for a sacred choral composition in two parts, written by

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, ...

to celebrate the

Treaty of Utrecht The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne o ...

, which established the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, ending the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

. He composed a

Te Deum The "Te Deum" (, ; from its incipit, , ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to AD 387 authorship, but with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin Ch ...

, HWV 278, and a ''Jubilate Deo'' ( Psalm 100), HWV 279. The combination of the two texts in English follows earlier models. The official premiere of the work was on 13 July 1713 in a service in

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...

in London.

History

Handel's composition was written to celebrate the Peace of Utrecht in 1713.HHA church music
handel-edition.com It has been described as his first commission from the British royal family,Handel and the English Chapel Royal
Donald Burrows, 2003 although the ''

Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne ''Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne'' ( HWV 74) is a secular cantata composed by George Frideric Handel to a libretto by Ambrose Philips, of which the first line, "Eternal source of light divine", provides an alternative title for the work. It w ...

'' appears to be earlier. It was his first major sacred work to English texts.Music for St Paul's
Peter Holman, 1998 Handel followed the models of Henry Purcell's 1694 ''Te Deum and Jubilate'' with strings and trumpets, which was regularly performed for official functions in St Paul's even after the composer's death, and a 1709 setting by

William Croft William Croft (baptised 30 December 1678 – 14 August 1727) was an English composer and organist. Life Croft was born at the Manor House, Nether Ettington, Warwickshire. He was educated at the Chapel Royal under the instruction of John Blow ...

. As in these models, Handel composed a combination of two liturgical texts, the

Ambrosian Hymn The "Te Deum" (, ; from its incipit, , ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to AD 387 authorship, but with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin Chu ...

''Te Deum'', ''We praise thee, O God'', and a setting of Psalm 100, ''O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands'', which is a regular

canticle A canticle (from the Latin ''canticulum'', a diminutive of ''canticum'', "song") is a hymn, psalm or other Christian song of praise with lyrics usually taken from biblical or holy texts. Canticles are used in Christian liturgy. Catholic Church ...

of the Anglican Morning Prayer. He followed the version of the

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...

. Handel's work was first performed in a public rehearsal on 5 March 1713 in

. The official premiere took place after the tedious peace negotiations had finished, in a solemn thanksgiving service on 7 July 1713. The ''Te Deum and Jubilate'', along with another composition '' As Pants the Hart'', earned Handel a yearly income from Queen Anne's Court. Donald Burrows writes in "Handel and the English Chapel Royal" that "his close association with the Court, reinforced by his musical contribution to events that were personal to the royal family, gave him both the benefits and the disadvantages of identification with the Hanoverian establishment." However, at the time his annual pension was granted it would not have been obvious that he was going to continue to enjoy the favour of the future

George I George I or 1 may refer to: People * Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631) * George I of Constantinople (d. 686) * George I of Antioch (d. 790) * George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9) * George I of Georgia (d. 1027) * Yuri Dolgor ...

, who was in fact opposed to the Treaty of Utrecht. Handel arranged the Jubilate in about 1717/18 for 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 ...

. ''Te Deum and Jubilate'' was performed in St Paul's for the annual ''Festival of the Sons of the Clergy'', alternating with Purcell's work, until 1743 when Handel's ''

Dettingen Te Deum The ''Te Deum for the Victory at the Battle of Dettingen'' in D major, HWV 283, is the fifth and last setting by George Frideric Handel of the 4th-century Ambrosian hymn, ''Te Deum'', or ''We Praise Thee, O God''. He wrote it in 1743, only a ...

'' was first performed. ''Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate'' was first published in full score during the 1730s. It was published by the Deutsche Händelgesellschaft in 1870 in Leipzig as HWV 278 and 279 in the attempted complete edition of Handel's works.

Friedrich Chrysander Karl Franz Friedrich Chrysander (8 July 1826 – 3 September 1901) was a German music historian, critic and publisher, whose edition of the works of George Frideric Handel and authoritative writings on many other composers established him as a ...

edited it as volume 31 of "G.F. Händel's Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft", titled ''Utrechter Te Deum und Jubilate'', with the texts in both English and German. Chrysander mentions in his preface a score published in 1731 by John Walsh: ''Te Deum and Jubilate, for Voices and Instruments performed before the Sons of the Clergy at the Cathedral-Church of St. Paul. Compos'd by George Frederick Handel. London. Printed for & sold by John Walsh''. ''Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate'' has been published by Bärenreiter in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe (HHA). The movement numbers below follow this critical edition.

Scoring and structure

The work is festively scored for six soloists (two

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

s, two

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

and bass), mixed choir, two

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

flauto traverso The Western concert flute is a family of transverse (side-blown) woodwind instruments made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute. A musician who plays the flute is called a flautist (in British English), flutist (in Ameri ...

, two

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

, strings (three

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

), and

basso continuo Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600–1750), provided the harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression. The phrase is often shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing th ...

. The choir is in five parts (SSATB) for most of the movements, but occasionally alto and tenor are divided as the soprano; the final

doxology A doxology (Ancient Greek: ''doxologia'', from , '' doxa'' 'glory' and -, -''logia'' 'saying') is a short hymn of praises to God in various forms of Christian worship, often added to the end of canticles, psalms, and hymns. The tradition derive ...

begins in eight parts. Almost all movements are set for solo singers and chorus; there are no arias. In modern performances, the number of soloists is typically reduced to four.

Te Deum

#''We praise Thee, O God'' (''Adagio'', SATB) #''To Thee all Angels cry aloud'' (''Largo e staccato'', 2 altos, TB

unison In music, unison is two or more musical parts that sound either the same pitch or pitches separated by intervals of one or more octaves, usually at the same time. ''Rhythmic unison'' is another term for homorhythm. Definition Unison or per ...

) #''To Thee Cherubin and Seraphim'' (''Andante'', 2 sopranos, SSATB) #''The glorious Company of the Apostles'' (''Andante – Adagio – Allegro – adagio – Allegro'', tenor, bass, two sopranos, SSATB) #''When thou took’st upon thee to deliver man'' (''Adagio – allegro – adagio – Allegro'', SSATB) #''We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge'' (''Largo'', soprano, alto, tenor, bass, SATB) #''Day by day we magnify thee'' (''Allegro'', double choir: SST AATB) #''And we worship thy name'' (SSATB) #''Vouchsafe, O Lord'' (''Adagio'', SSAATB) #''O Lord, in thee have I trusted'' (''Allegro'', SSATB)

Jubilate

#''O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands'' (alto, SATB) #''Serve the Lord with gladness'' (SSATB) #''Be ye sure that the Lord he is God'' (duet: alto, bass, violin, oboe) #''O go your way into his gates'' (SATB, strings) #''For the Lord is gracious'' (''Adagio'': 2 altos, bass, oboes, violins) #''Glory be to the Father'' (SSAATTBB) #''As it was in the beginning'' (SSATB)

Music

Handel could rely on the trained musicians of the ''Chapel Royal'' who were able to sing solo. Unlike in his operas, he set the work mostly for choir, divided in a double choir for ''Day by day we magnify thee'' and divided in eight parts for the homophon ''Glory be to the Father''. In the ''Te Deum'', Handel inserted short solos to achieve a variety of textures as in a

concerto grosso The concerto grosso (; Italian language, Italian for ''big concert(o)'', plural ''concerti grossi'' ) is a form of baroque music in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists (the ''#Concertino, concertino'') and full orc ...

, to express the words. In movement 2, the two alto soloists begin together "To Thee all Angels cry aloud" on a base of three times "the heavn and all the pow'rs therein" in unison octaves of the choir. In movement 3, the announcement "To Thee Cherubin and Seraphim continually do cry" is rendered by two sopranos, whereas the full choir enters the homophon statement "Holy, holy, holy". Similarly, in movement 4 a tenor soloist sings of the "glorious Company of the Apostles", the bass soloist continues "the goodly fellowship", then the soprano soloists' "The noble army of martyrs praise Thee" leads to a

tutti ''Tutti'' is an Italian word literally meaning ''all'' or ''together'' and is used as a musical term, for the whole orchestra as opposed to the soloist. It is applied similarly to choral music, where the whole section or choir is called to sing. ...

"The holy church", the movement culminates in an ''adagio'' on the words "The father of an infinite majesty" and concludes in runs in imitation on the word "glory". The beginning of movement 5 has been compared to

Renaissance music Renaissance music is traditionally understood to cover European music of the 15th and 16th centuries, later than the Renaissance era as it is understood in other disciplines. Rather than starting from the early 14th-century '' ars nova'', the Tr ...

: an alto soloist refers to "the Virgin's womb", the following "sharpness of death" is expressed by four soloists

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

, contrasted by the choir's "Thou didst open the Kingdom of heav'n".Praising Peace and Ignoring Calendar Details
James R. Oestreich, 19 August 2010,

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

Handel signed the last page of the ''Te Deum'' by SDG (Soli Deo Gloria – To the only God glory). In the ''Jubilate'', only the first movement is for solo and choir, an alto soloist, who exposes a coloratura theme, which the choir repeats. Movement 1 is adapted from "Laudate Pueri" which Handel composed for his Carmelite Vespers in Rome. Movement 3 is an introspective duet of alto and bass solo, with solo oboe and violin, based on the first movement of Handel's ''A mirarvi io son intento'' (HWV 178), composed in 1711 in Hanover. In movement 5 three low voices expand on ''For the Lord is gracious''. All other movements are set for the choir.

Recordings

* ''Bach: Magnificat; Handel: Utrecht Te Deum / Harnoncourt'', Nikolaus Harnoncourt,

Arnold Schoenberg Choir The Arnold Schoenberg Choir (german: Arnold Schoenberg Chor) is a Viennese/Austrian choir which was founded 1972 by Erwin Ortner, who is still its artistic director. The choir has a high reputation both among conductors and among critics and the ...

, Concentus Musicus Wien, Felicity Palmer, Marjana Lipovsek,

Philip Langridge Philip Gordon Langridge (16 December 1939 – 5 March 2010)Millington (7 March 2010) was an English tenor, considered to be among the foremost exponents of English opera and oratorio. Early life Langridge was born in Hawkhurst, Kent, educ ...

Kurt Equiluz Kurt Equiluz (13 June 1929 – 20 June 2022) was an Austrian classical tenor in opera and concert. He was a member of the Vienna State Opera as a tenor buffo from 1957 until 1983, remembered for roles such as Pedrillo in Mozart's ''Die Entfüh ...

, Ludwig Baumann,

Teldec Teldec (Telefunken-Decca Schallplatten GmbH) is a German record label in Hamburg, Germany. Today the label is a property of Warner Music Group. History Teldec was a producer of (first) shellac and (later) vinyl records. The Teldec manufacturing ...

1996 * ''Handel: Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate'', Christopher Hogwood,

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

1998 * ''Music for St Paul's'', John Scott, St Paul's Cathedral Choir, The Parley of Instruments,

Sophie Daneman Sophie Daneman is a British soprano specializing in the baroque repertoire. Biography Sophie Daneman, a daughter of the actor Paul Daneman, studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She became known during the 1990s with ...

, Julia Gooding,

Robin Blaze Robin Blaze (born 1971 in Manchester) is an English countertenor. Early life The son of Peter Blaze, a professional golfer, and Christine, Blaze and his brother Mark grew up in Shadwell, near Leeds, and was educated at Leeds Grammar School, ...

, Rogers Covey-Crump, Mark Le Brocq, Andrew Dale Forbes, DISCID 1998 * ''Vivaldi: Gloria, Handel Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate'',

Simon Preston Simon John Preston (4 August 1938 – 13 May 2022) was an English organist, conductor, and composer.
...

, Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford, Academy of Ancient Music,

Emma Kirkby Dame Carolyn Emma Kirkby, (; born 26 February 1949) is an English soprano and early music specialist. She has sung on over 100 recordings. Education and early career Kirkby was educated at Hanford School, Sherborne School for Girls in Dors ...

, Judith Nelson,

Carolyn Watkinson The English mezzo-soprano Carolyn Watkinson (born 19 March 1949) is a well-known singer of baroque music. Her voice is alternately characterized as mezzo-soprano and contralto. Watkinson was born in Preston and studied at the Royal Manchester ...

, Charles Brett, Rogers Covey-Crump, Paul Elliott, David Thomas, L'Oiseau-Lyre * ''Treaty of Utrecht'',

Jos van Veldhoven Josephus Maria Martinus van Veldhoven (born 1952 in Den Bosch) is a Dutch choral conductor. He studied musicology at the Rijksuniversiteit of Utrecht, and choral and orchestral conducting at the Royal Conservatory, the Hague. He was artistic dire ...

Netherlands Bach Society The Netherlands Bach Society ( nl, Nederlandse Bachvereniging) is the oldest ensemble for Baroque music in the Netherlands, and possibly in the world. The ensemble was founded in 1921 in Naarden to perform Bach's ''St Matthew Passion'' on Good Frid ...

, Nicki Kennedy, William Towers,

Wolfram Lattke Wolfram Lattke (born 1978, Pirna) is a German singer. He is a lyric tenor and began singing aged seven. He was a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor (1987–1988) and the Thomanerchor The Thomanerchor (English: St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig) is a ...

Julian Podger Julian Podger (born 1966) is an English tenor who has appeared mostly in concert in historically informed performance. He took part in the 2000 Bach Cantata Pilgrimage. He also sings in vocal ensembles, and directs his own ensemble, Trinity Bar ...

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Channel Classics Records Channel Classics Records is a record label from the Netherlands, specializing in classical music. The managing director and producer is C. Jared Sacks, who grew up in Boston. Sacks was schooled as a professional horn player at the Oberlin Conserv ...

2010Handel; Croft: Music for the Peace of Utrecht
Tim Ashley, 8 July 2010, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

Bibliography

* Christian Bährens: ''Händels Utrechter Te Deum – Geschichte – Musik – Interpretation'', Unibuch Verlag, Lüneburg (2013), German

References

External links

* *
Utrechter Te Deum und Jubilate von Georg Friedrich Händel
Händel-Werkausgabe, hrsg. v.

, Leipzig 1869 {{Authority control Compositions by George Frideric Handel Psalm settings 1713 compositions Handel