Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Account of the First Edinburgh Musical Festival, held between the 30th October and 5th November, 1815
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Dr BURNEY'S account
OF
HANDEL'S MESSIAH, &c.
PART FIRST.
The Overture to the Messiah, though grave and solemn,
always seemed to me more dry and uninteresting in the
performance, than the rest of Handel's Overtures j but
the force, energy, and dignity given to every trait of melo-
dy, as well as mass of harmony, by this wonderful band,
produced effects in it winch elude all description.
Handel's Overtures are generally analogous to the open-
ing of the first scene of the drama to which they belong,
and may be called real prefaces or preliminary discourses
to a book. In order, therefore, to suppress every idea of
levity in so sacred a performance as the Messiah, he very
judiciously finished the Overture without an Air. And
the short Symphony to the accompanied Recitative, or
Aria parlante, " Comfort ye my people" (Isaiah xl. i.)
seems, to such as are not acquainted with the Oratorio, a
preparation for the light minuet, gavot, or jig, with which
OF
HANDEL'S MESSIAH, &c.
PART FIRST.
The Overture to the Messiah, though grave and solemn,
always seemed to me more dry and uninteresting in the
performance, than the rest of Handel's Overtures j but
the force, energy, and dignity given to every trait of melo-
dy, as well as mass of harmony, by this wonderful band,
produced effects in it winch elude all description.
Handel's Overtures are generally analogous to the open-
ing of the first scene of the drama to which they belong,
and may be called real prefaces or preliminary discourses
to a book. In order, therefore, to suppress every idea of
levity in so sacred a performance as the Messiah, he very
judiciously finished the Overture without an Air. And
the short Symphony to the accompanied Recitative, or
Aria parlante, " Comfort ye my people" (Isaiah xl. i.)
seems, to such as are not acquainted with the Oratorio, a
preparation for the light minuet, gavot, or jig, with which
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/90250924 |
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| Description | To which is added an essay, containing some general observations on music. By George Farquhar Graham, Esq. Edinburgh : W. Blackwood, 1816. [Includes: Dr. Burney's account of the performance of Handel's Messiah, in Westminster Abbey, on Saturday, May 29, 1784: pp. [175]-195.] |
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| Shelfmark | Glen.65 |
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| Description | Scottish songs and music of the 18th and early 19th centuries, including music for the Highland bagpipe. These are selected items from the collection of John Glen (1833 to 1904). Also includes a few manuscripts, some treatises, and other books on the subject. |
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| Description | The Glen Collection and the Inglis Collection represent mainly 18th and 19th century Scottish music, including Scottish songs. The collections of Berlioz and Verdi collected by bibliographer Cecil Hopkinson contain contemporary and later editions of the works of the two composers Berlioz and Verdi. |
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