LISTENING GRID

Title of
Piece
Date/ Info
Area of
Study

CONTEX
T
Historical,
social &
cultural
context

Chorus Amen
Part of G.F. Handels Messiah, 1741
Vocal

The Amen closes Handels Messiah and displays great contrapuntal skill until the final homophonic rendition of Amen in the
final three bars. It gradually rises from the depths of the Bass & cello to the entry of the trumpets announcing the glory of God. It
combines a motet-style of polyphonic choral writing, with a glimpse of Lutheran chorale, as well an Italian operatic use of voices
& instruments and an English stately feel.

ORGANIS MELODY:
The "Amen" begins in the bass and continuo. An intricate melody rises in four bars and one octave. Every other voice,
ATION
tenor, alto, soprano, also sings the theme once.
OF
This theme is treated as a subject of a fugue.
PITCH
Melody &
harmony
(Harmonic
change,
cadences,
for example
interrupted,
and melodic
and
harmonic
devices)

The syllables A-men are treated melismatically with large leaps (6ths, 5ths, 4ths) and in slightly awkward divisions
(melismatic -men on a quaver before another melismatic A b.4). Angular subject.
Countersubject (b.7-10) uses descending 2nd and upward leaps of 4th, followed by a 4-note scalic descending pattern.
Large leaps in vocal part (b. 33 soprano leap of 8ve).
Melody ascends from the depths at the beginning (with bass) to high tessitura (high notes for ranges of SATB) (b.34-35).
Cascading descending scalic pattern at the end (b.80-81).
Some use of sequence (b.42-44 Soprano)
Syllabic ending of Amen
HARMONY:
Feeling of secondary chord in b.71
Cadential 6/4 chord-V-I b. 75-76 leading to V pedal b. 76 bass & cello
Tonic pedal b.80 cello
Tonic dominant b.85 that ends on a hanging V7d chord.

LISTENING GRID

TONALIT
Y
Which keys
are used
and how a
pieces goes
from one
key to
another

STRUCT
URE
Form/
organisati
on of
musical
material
How music
is organised

Last three bars: I-V4-3 suspension-I

Continually flowing melody over the cadences (example b.63 & 75), which makes the music sound continuous until the
very last cadence. Also cadences use inverted V7th I (b.20 or b.35), which makes it more subtle.
Fast modulating passage, mainly going through imperfect cadences, b.57-62
b.84: V7d followed by dramatic pause. Last three bars: I-V4-3 suspension-I perfect cadence.

The piece is in D major

Subject-theme enters in D major b.1
Answer in b.6 is in A major on Tenor
Return to D major b. 11 when Alto sings the subject
A major b. 16 with answer in Soprano
D major at instrumental section b. 20, followed by the answer in A major, b.26
D major tutti b.31
A major instrumental section b.36
D major end of b.42
A major b.54
Successive one-bar modulations from mid-b.57-mid b.62: B minor, B major, F# minor, E major, A major, D major. Feeling
of instability and tension until arriving at D major.
G major mid-b. 65
D major mid-b.68
The movement is as an endless flowing of A-mens, as cadences are usually on inverted chords (see harmony). However,
there are some sections to the piece:
b.1: bass & cello enter (cello tasto solo) with a theme that is treated as the subject of a fugue, in motet style.
b.21: instrumental interlude with violin 1 only followed by violin 2. Uses the A-men subject-theme.
b.31: chorale-style setting of Amen in SATB, with theme at the bass & instruments using the counter-subject and some
quaver movement
b.36 (with anacrusis): violin 1 & 2 interlude in imitation
b.38: tutti section again, but contrapunctal with more use of the counter-subject. Highly polyphonic section with
independent parts for voices & strings.

LISTENING GRID

SONORIT
Y
organisati
on of
musical
material
= Timbre
Combination
s of vocal
timbres and
instrumental
techniques

TEXTURE

combination
s of musical
lines (parts)

Mid-b.42: Sopranos start in stretto a variation of the subject-theme, based on the first 5 notes. (In a fugue, stretto is the
imitation of the subject in close succession, so that the answer enters before the subject is completed)
b. 75: tutti entry with gradually longer values: parts of the subject & countersubject at the same time. Cascading
descending semiquavers in quick imititation b.80-81. V7d minims. Pause. Homophonic cadence in Adagio tempo.
SATB choir, violins 1, 2, viola, basso continuo, trumpets 1 & 2, timpani (tuned to tonic & dominant)
Martellato (a musical notation to indicate that the note is strongly accented, or hammered out) in the counter-subject
crotchet notes (i.e. b.7 Bass).
Voices treated as an instrument: the melodic line is awkward for singers, with its successive interval leaps and change of
rhythms within the melismas
Prominent and exposed violin 1 & 2 sections (b.21-30) without bass continuo: striking contrast to tutti passages.
Instruments sometimes double the voices (b.33 vln1 doubles Soprano & cello doubles Bass); although often each
instrument/voice is treated separately (b.39, a part from Bass & cello)

Starts in monophony: bass & cello (tasto solo; o indicate that a note or section should be played on its own, without
harmony)
Fugue with subject (1st theme) & countersubject (sung by bass after Tenors entry)
Polyphonic texture mainly, with at times all voices & instruments playing/singing different melodies (b.57-58); or
instruments doubling vocal parts (b.63)
Stretto passages (b.63) with subject coming in close succession
Monophonic passage on violin 1 (b.21) with 2 nd violin playing the answer
Contrast of textures: violin duet followed by tutti b.31
Imitation: b.36-37 in violins
Chorale-style setting b.31 in SATB, using parts of the subject & countersubject (Soprano b.32)
Only homophonic passage: one bar before pause, then last 3 bars with syllabic A-men

LISTENING GRID
TEMPO,
METRE &
RHYTHM
how music
is
organised
in time
Metrical and
rhythmic
devices

DYNAMI
CS
Use of
dynamics
Expressive
devices

Allegro moderato quite solemn feel.

Pause b.86 followed by Adagio last 3 bars
The subject uses a variety of rhythms: quavers, dotted crotchet, minims and crotchets.
The countersubject uses crotchet rests, crotchets and minims
As the movement progresses, the rhythms become shorter with uses of semiquavers (introduced by Alto b.41 & used
extensively from b. 43 onwards)
Gradual lengthening of rhythmic values towards the end: b.75 no more semiquavers, more use of minims and semibreves
b.84 homophonic minims until the end
In 4/4 throughout

Mainly mezzo-forte to forte Contrasts in dynamics achieved by contrasts in texture (i.e. sudden change from violin 1 & 2 to
tutti section with trumpets & timpani)