George Frideric Handel by Balthasar Denner

''An Occasional Oratorio'' ( HWV 62) is an

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

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, ...

, based upon a

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

Newburgh Hamilton Newburgh Hamilton (1691–1761) was an Irish author and librettist. He was born in County Tyrone, Ireland (now Northern Ireland) and entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1708, aged sixteen, but (as was common in those days) he left without obtai ...

after the poetry of

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

and Edmund Spenser. The work was written in the midst of the Jacobite rising of 1745–1746, the attempt to overthrow Handel's patrons the Hanoverian monarchy under

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) ...

and replace them with a Stuart restoration under Charles Edward Stuart, "Bonnie Prince Charlie". The ''Occasional Oratorio'' is unique among Handel's works which he labelled "oratorio" in that it does not tell a story or contain elements of a drama, but was intended as a defiant and patriotic rallying piece. The Stuart armies, based in Scotland, had invaded England and got as far as

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

when the King's armies under the command of the King's son Prince William, Duke of Cumberland had driven them back to Scotland in December 1745. The fighting was at a hiatus due to winter weather and the Duke of Cumberland was in London in February 1746. Handel composed the Occasional Oratorio hastily in January and February 1746, "borrowing" and re-arranging some movements from previous compositions, and premiered it immediately on 14 February 1746 with

Willem de Fesch Willem de Fesch (, 1687, Alkmaar – 3 January 1761) was a virtuoso Dutch violone player and composer. The pupil of Karel Rosier, who was a Vice- Kapellmeister at Bonn, de Fesch later married his daughter, Maria Anna Rosier. De Fesch was ...

Élisabeth Duparc Élisabeth Duparc or Du Parc, nicknamed "La Francesina", (died 1778) was a French soprano notable for appearing in several premieres and performances of the oratorios and operas of Handel - she played the title role, for example, in the premier ...

Elisabetta de Gambarini Elisabetta de Gambarini (7 September 1730 – 9 February 1765) was an English composer, mezzo-soprano, organist, harpsichordist, pianist, orchestral conductor and painter of the 18th century. Elisabetta's music is considered late Baroque music ...

John Beard (tenor) John Beard (c. 1716 – 5 February 1791) was an English tenor of the 18th century. He is best remembered for creating an extensive number of roles in the operas and oratorios of George Frideric Handel. Beard's début came in Handel's 1734 revi ...

, and

Thomas Reinhold Henry Reinhold (c. 1690 – 1751), also known as Thomas Reinhold, was a German opera singer. He was born in Dresden and showed an early aptitude for music, which his family apparently discouraged. But he secretly left Dresden to follow Handel ...

Covent Garden Theatre The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...

. It contains 44 movements split over three parts. Part One, generally speaking, concerns the miseries of war and the vengeance of a wrathful God, Part Two the blessings of peace, and Part Three a thanksgiving for victory. This was felt at the time by some to be premature as the rebels had not yet been defeated, Charles Jennens, Handel's friend and collaborator who wrote the text for ''

Saul Saul (; he, , ; , ; ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the first monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel. His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BCE, supposedly marked the transition of Israel and Judah from a scattered t ...

'' and others of Handel's oratorios called the piece "a triumph for a victory not yet gained." The festive four part overture, with trumpets and drums, is sometimes performed outside the context of the entire piece. The famous chorus "Prepare the Hymn" (a paraphrase of Psalm 81:1-2) is the 26th movement and appears in the second part. The second minuet from the ''

Music for the Royal Fireworks The ''Music for the Royal Fireworks'' ( HWV 351) is a suite in D major for wind instruments composed by George Frideric Handel in 1749 under contract of George II of Great Britain for the fireworks in London's Green Park on 27 April 1749. The ...

'' was reused from this oratorio. Handel's coronation anthem ''

Zadok the Priest ''Zadok the Priest'' ( HWV 258) is a British anthem that was composed by George Frideric Handel for the coronation of King George II in 1727. Alongside '' The King Shall Rejoice'', '' My Heart is Inditing'' and '' Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened' ...

'' was also reused as the finale to the oratorio, but excluded the second movement "''And all the people rejoic'd''".

Recordings

*With

Susan Gritton Susan Gritton (born 31 August 1965) is an English operatic soprano. She was the 1994 winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award and has sung leading roles in a wide-ranging repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Britten, Janáček and Strauss. Life ...

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 ...

Lisa Milne Lisa Milne (born 22 April 1971 in Aberdeen) is a Scottish soprano described by the BBC as "one of RSAMD's best-known alumni", who was among the first artists to be invited to the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme in 1999-2001. Known f ...

soprano, James Bowman countertenor,

John Mark Ainsley John Mark Ainsley (born 9 July 1963) is an English lyric tenor. Known for his supple voice, Ainsley is particularly admired for his interpretations of baroque music and the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the course of his career, he has g ...

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 ...

, Michael George (bass),

The King's Consort The King's Consort is a British period music orchestra founded in 1980 by the English conductor and harpsichordist Robert King (b. 1960, Wombourne). The ensemble has an associated choral group, Choir of The King's Consort. Together, they have m ...

, Choir of The King's Consort, New College Choir, Oxford, Robert King conductor. Hyperion CD:CDAyomom66961/2 Year of release: 2010 *With Julia Doyle soprano, Ben Johnson tenor,

Peter Harvey Peter Michael St Clair Harvey (16 September 19442 March 2013) was an Australian journalist and broadcaster. Harvey was a long-serving correspondent and contributor with the Nine Network from 1975 to 2013. Career Harvey studied his journalism c ...

(baritone),Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin,

Howard Arman Howard Arman (born 1954 in London) is an English choral conductor and opera director. He won the Handel Prize of the Handel Festival, Halle, in 1996, shaped the festival's orchestra and conducted operas of George Frideric Handel. He is a condu ...

, conductor. BR Klassik CD:900520 Year of release: 2017

List of musical numbers

*Overture *1.1. Arioso: Why do the gentiles tumult? *1.2. Chorus: Let us break off by strength of hand *1.3. Aria: O Lord, how many are my foes! *1.4. Chorus: Him or his God we not fear! *1.5. Aria: Jehovah, to my words give ear *1.6. Chorus: Him or his God we scorn to fear! *1.7. Recitative: The Highest who in Heaven doth dwell *1.8. Aria: O, who shall pour into my swollen eyes *1.9. Aria: Fly from the threat'ning vengeance, fly! *1.10. Accompagnato: Humbled with fear *1.11. Aria: His sceptre is the rod of righteousness *1.12. Aria: Be wise, be wise at length *1.13. Chorus: Be wise, be wise at length *1.14. Recitative: Of many millions the populous rout *1.15. Aria: Jehovah is my shield, my glory *1.16. Recitative: Fools or madmen stand not within *1.17. Chorus: God found them guilty PART II Èlisabeth Duparc, detta La Francesina

*2.1. Aria: O liberty, thou choicest treasure *2.2. Recitative: Who trusts in God should ne'er despair *2.3. Aria: Prophetic visions strike my eye *2.4. Chorus mit Solo (alto): May God, from whom all mercies *2.5. Recitative: The Lord hath heard my pray'r *2.6. Aria: Then will I Jehovah's praise *2.7. Chorus: All his mercies shall endure *2.8. Aria: How great and many perils do enfold *2.9. Duett (soprano, alto): After long storms and tempests overblown *2.10. Aria, Chorus: To God, our strength, sing loud *2.11. Aria: He has his mansion fix'd on high *2.12. Chorus: Hallelujah, your voices raise PART III *3.1. Sinfonia *3.2. Chorus: I will sing unto the Lord *3.3. Chorus: Who is like unto thee, O Lord? *3.4. Aria: When warlike ensigns wave on high *3.5. Recitative: The enemy said, I will pursue *3.6. Aria: The enemy said, I will pursue *3.7. Aria: The sword that's drawn in virtue's cause *3.8. Chorus: Millions unborn shall bless the hand *3.9. Recitative: When Israel, like the bounteous Nile *3.10. Aria: When Israel, like the bounteous Nile *3.11. Aria: Tyrants, whom no cov'nants bind *3.12. Accompagnato: May balmy peace, and wreath'd renown *3.13. Aria: May balmy peace, and wreath'd renown *3.14. Chorus: Blessed are all they that fear the Lord

References

External links

*
An Occasional Oratorio
a
gfhandel.org
* Full-tex

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. {{Authority control Oratorios by George Frideric Handel 1746 compositions