George Frideric Handel
(1685-1759)
The
Hallelujah
Chorus
from
The Messiah
A Keyboard Reduction for Organ Accompaniment
(5 pages)
Notes
The
Hallelujah
Chorus from Handel’s
beloved Messiah is one of the staples of Baroque choral repertoire;
it has appeared in countless editions, transcriptions, and guises since its
original composition and earliest performances. It found new life in the
Classical period when Mozart rescored it for the ‘modern’ orchestra of his
time. Since then, the "Hallelujah" chorus has reappeared perennially in
churches and concert halls, accompanied by ensembles and instruments of
numerous descriptions and sizes.
This keyboard reduction is notated for a three-manual organ (with pedal),
and registration is suggested for terraced dymanics of
mp,
mf, and
f. The recommended comoposition for
the mp manual would include flues at 8', 4', and 2', (with
light mixtures if needed); for the mf division, flues at 8',
4', and 2', also with mixtures as needed; for the
f
manual, flues at 16', 8', 4', 2', with mixtures as appropriate, and with the
subsequent addition of 8' reeds; pedal registration could include 16', 8',
and 4' flues, with the subsequent addition of 16' and/or 8' reeds and a 32'
flue; intra-manual and manual-to-pedal couplers could be added to balance
the ensemble.
The above registration scheme can be easily adapted to a two-manual
instrument. For piano use, the bass line will be effectively enhanced if
played in octaves with the left hand, where appropriate. The tempo notation
of Allegro is not necessarily compatible with modern metronomic
parameters or equivalents; a more conservative quarter-note equivalent might
be found in the range from an adagio to an andante. The
addition of the interpretive marking, leggiero, is editorial and will
allow the chorus to be heard with the clarity and transparency
characterisitic of Baroque performance practices.
Click on the hyperlink below to download a complimentary letter-sized PDF
booklet.
FMPHandelMessiahHallelujahChorusOrgArr2023
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