What to Listen For
Handel: Messiah, No. 18
Here’s what to listen for in “Rejoice greatly,” a soprano aria from Handel’s oratorio Messiah.
■ Soprano solo and orchestra
This aria from Handel’s Messiah is sung by soprano and accompanied by orchestra, which sounds
like this: [0:00–1:29].
■ Melisma on “Rejoice”
Handel uses a long melisma on the word “Rejoice” to convey the joy expressed in the text. A
melisma is easy to identify; it’s when a singer sings many pitches on a single text syllable. When the
soprano sings “Rejoice” the fourth, fifth, and sixth times, you can hear her sing lots of pitches on
the second syllable (“-joice”) [0:17–1:29].
■ Three-part form (A-B-A′, da capo) with ritornellos
This aria is in three- part form (A-B-A′) with instrumental ritornellos. A ritornello is a short, recurring
instrumental passage that introduces the aria and returns after each section sung by the soprano.
Listen to the first statement of the ritornello: [0:00– 0:15]. Notice how the second ritornello has the
same tune as the first but begins on higher pitches: [1:15–1:29]. Listen to how short the third ritornello is: [2:30–2:33]. And the fourth and final ritornello has extra notes added: [3:56– 4:15]. Interspersed between the ritornellos is the soprano’s melody. The first section she sings (A) is followed
by a contrasting second section (B). At this point, the aria is sung da capo, literally meaning “from
the head” (or “go back to the top”), and the aria concludes with an altered return of the first section
(A′). Listen to the first section: [0:00–1:29]. Now the second section: [1:30–2:05 with fade- out]. When
the first part returns, the soprano elaborates on the melody. Listen: [fade-in 2:35–3:35 fade- out].
So remember to listen for the soprano soloist accompanied by orchestra. The soloist sings a melismatic melody on the word “Rejoice” to convey the feeling of joy in the text. The aria is in A-B-A′ form
with instrumental ritornellos; when the A section returns, the vocal melody is even more elaborate
than it was at the beginning of the aria, as is the final ritornello.
What to Listen For Tutorials by Jennifer Hund for The Enjoyment of Music, by Kristine Forney, Andrew Dell’Antonio, and
Joseph Machlis
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