Word: handels
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...chorus will sing Christmas carols from different lands, and Handel's "Messiah." "Vent Emmanuel" and "Adeste Fideles" with be sung by the Congregation...
...ability for composing" either, Zabaleta decided that he must uncover music written for the harp rather than resort to arrangements. For a year and a half he searched the libraries of Europe, turned up some surprising finds, e.g., harp music by one of Bach's sons, by Beethoven, Handel and Faure, as well as by early Spanish and French composers. That still left one gap: the moderns. To fill it, Zabaleta began badgering living composers to write for the harp. So far, six concertos have been dedicated to him, including compositions by Milhaud and Villa-Lobos...
...Messiah is one of those unique masterpieces which must be done perfectly if it is to be done at all. Handel created the music in 24 days of concentrated effort. Every phrase plays a key part in the whole; each line is at once a beautiful thing in itself and an ornament to the rest. If even the second violins play sloppily, an excellent chorus cannot atone; if a recitative is hurried, a perfectly paced aria becomes pointless. The grandeur of Handel, like the glory of Bach, cannot rest on Yuletide spirit alone...
...should follow as a natural extension of the aria. Conductor Alfred Nash Patterson permitted long gaps of silence which destroyed the relationship. He misconceived some musical details as well. Instead of grouping the dotted rhythms of the overture in melodic phrases, he chopped them into monotonous two note fragments. Handel marked Larghetto the sombre People that walked in darkness; Patterson whipped it to an inappropriate speed. He also rushed the alto's Oh Thou that tellest good tidings, and consequently the choral repetition lacked contrast...
...most moving moments of the concert came as the two women, accompanied by a few of the best string players, poured out the double aria He shall feed His flock. They offered technical proficiency with their enthusiasm and tasteful musicianship with their good intentions. Only then did Handel's notes cease to be a hurdle and become an inspiration...