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《弥赛亚》是在亨德尔处境艰难的事业低谷时期创作的,但此后又成就了他事业上的另一个高峰。亨德尔初到英国,犹如一股清新的风,给长期低迷的英国音乐界重新带来了生机。他深受国王(女王)宠爱,在宫廷里供职,创作了大量的宫廷音乐和意大利式歌剧。但这样的“贵族音乐”不受下层民众的欢迎,用意大利语演唱的歌词、令人感到乏味的故事情节限制了普通民众对音乐的理解。世界上第一部音乐剧《乞丐的歌剧》于1729年在伦敦上演,深受广大民众的欢迎,这对以亨德尔为代表的贵族音乐创作集团提出了挑战。此后,嫉妒亨德尔的朝臣开始在国王耳边进献诽谤,他经营的歌剧院也倒闭了。这些打击对亨德尔无疑是巨大的,但他再次站了起来。
1735年7月,亨德尔收到了好友詹宁斯寄来的三部神剧剧本—《扫罗》、《弥赛亚》和《伯萨撒王》。在亨德尔悉心研究这些剧本,並深深为之感动的同时,心灵也再次接受了宗教的净化。他重新找到了创作的信心。1741年8月22日下午,亨德尔开始创作《弥赛亚》。关于亨德尔究竟花了多久的时间来创作这部光演出就要花两个半钟头的巨作,各家说法不一。一般的材料说他仅用24天的时间便完成了《弥赛亚》的创作。宏大的作品中融入了作曲家成熟的宗教虔诚。
《弥赛亚》于1742年4月13日在爱尔兰首府都柏林首演。海报上写着:“为了一些困苦的囚犯,以及梅尔舍医院的利益而演出。”《弥赛亚》的演出获得了成功,亨德尔再次回到了英国人的目光之中。1743年,《弥赛亚》在伦敦上演,英王乔治二世亲临剧院。当听到第二部分终曲《哈利路亚大合唱》时,国王按捺不住内心的激动,站立起来听完了全曲。为了维护《弥赛亚》的地位不因过多演出而受损,国王下旨,禁止出版和随便演唱这部作品;每年只在春天演出一次,且只有亨德尔本人才有指挥资格。亨德尔每年按国王的御旨举行公开演出—演出收益用于孤儿院的募捐—直到他去世前8天。
首演时有18人唱诗班,使用了33件乐器;莫扎特1789年重新编谱,使后来演出的人数大增,同年的伦敦演出有275位人声和248件乐器的记录;1859年伦敦举行亨德尔逝世100週年纪念会时,合唱团人数高达2765人,乐器460件;1869年美国波士顿“和平日节庆”演出时,更创下了一万人合唱《哈利路亚大合唱》、500件乐器伴奏的记录。
“弥赛亚”是“救世主”的意思。《弥赛亚》的歌词全部节选自《圣经》(如《以赛亚书》、四大福音书、《诗篇》、《启示录》等),叙述了耶稣出生、生活、受难、受死以及复活的全部过程。
全曲分三部分:
亨德尔的音乐以旋律的简朴流畅、气势的雄伟、音响的明亮以及对人物、情节生动的描绘而著称。他使咏叹调的性格更多样化,使宣叙调的音调更旋律化,并加强了序曲、间奏曲、器乐伴奏的标题性和造型性。对合唱的运用方面,他不拘泥于複調音樂,而广泛地运用主调音乐,使两者有机地揉和在一起,大大提高了合唱在清唱剧中的地位。
注意:聖經經文之中文翻譯,以中文《和合本》聖經文本之經文作為標準;
中文和合本聖經之經文已經超過版權保護期,屬於公有領域。
一、交響樂(序曲)—— 四分四十七秒
二、你們要安慰,我的百姓(男高音)—— 三分三十八秒
三、一切山窪都要填滿(男高音)——3:30
四、耶和華的榮耀(合唱)——3:36
五、Thus saith the Lord (低音) 1:52
瑪拉基书3:1
六、But who may abide (低音) 5:01
七、他必要洁净(合唱)——3:31
八、Behold, a virgin shall conceive (Contralto) 0:43
Behold! A virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us.
九、传报好信息给锡安(合唱)——7:22
十、看哪、黑暗遮蓋大地(低音) 2:59
11.The people that walked in darkness (Bass) 4:51
12.For unto us a child is born (Chorus) 4:49
13.Pifa (Pastoral Symphony) 4:37
14.There were shepherds (Soprano) 0:59
There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night, And lo! the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.
15.And the angel said unto them (Soprano) 0:53
And the Angel said unto them, Fear not; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
16.And suddenly there was with the angel (Soprano) 0:21
And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: ...
17.Glory to God in the highest (Chorus) 2:17
Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, goodwill towards men.
18.Rejoice greatly oh daughters of Zion (Soprano) 4:32
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, thy King cometh unto thee! He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen.
19.Then shall the eyes of the blind (Contralto) 0:31
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.
20.He shall feed His flock (Contralto & Soprano) 6:12
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, and He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
Come unto him, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take his yoke upon you, and learn of him, for He is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
21.His yoke is easy (Chorus) 3:03
His yoke is easy, and His burthen is light.
'No. 22.' Chorus: Behold the Lamb of God
'No. 23.' Air (Alto): He was despised
'No. 24.' Chorus: Surely He hath borne our griefs
'No. 25.' Chorus: And with His stripes we are healed
以賽亞書 五十三章五节
'No. 26.' Chorus: All we like sheep have gone astray
'No. 23.' all they that see him laugh him to All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn
'No. 28.' Chorus: He trusted in God that He would deliver Him
'No. 29.' Recit. accompanied (Tenor): Thy rebuke hath broken His heart
'No. 30.' Air (Tenor): Behold, and see if there be any sorrow
31 he was cut off.ogg|title='No. 31.' Recit. accompanied (Tenor): He was cut off out of the land of the living
'No. 32.' Air (Tenor): But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell
33 lift up ye heads, o ye gates.ogg|title='No. 33.' Chorus: Lift up your heads, o ye gates
34.Unto which of the angels (Tenor) 0:26
Unto which of the Angels said He at any time, Thou art My son, this day have I begotten thee?
35.Let all the angels of God (Chorus) 1:37
Let all the angels of God worship Him.
36.Thou art gone up on high (Bass) 3:59
Thou art gone up on high; Thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men, yea, even from thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them.
37.The Lord gave the word (Chorus) 1:12
The Lord gave the word, great was the company of the preachers.
38.How beautiful are the feet (Soprano) 3:05
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.
39.Their sound is gone out into all lands (Chorus) 1:43
Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words unto the ends of the world.
40.Why do the nations so furious rage (Bass) 2:53
Why do the nations so furiously rage together, and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His Annointed.
41.Let us break their bonds asunder (Chorus) 1:49
Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us.
42.He that dwelleth in Heaven (Tenor) 0:22
He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision.
43.Thou shalt break them (Tenor) 2:10
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
44.Hallelujah (Chorus) 3:32
Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.(Revelation 19:6b) The Kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
第三部分
45.I know that my Redeemer liveth (Soprano) 7:43
I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.
For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first-fruits of them that sleep.
46.Since by man came death (Chorus) 2:30
Since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
47.Behold, I tell you a mystery (Bass) 0:42
Behold, I tell you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
48.The trumpet shall sound (Bass) 4:20
The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
49.Then shall be brought to pass (Contralto) 0:21
Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory!
50.O death where is thy sting (Contralto & Tenor) 1:24
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
51.But thanks be to God (Chorus) 2:22
But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
52.If God be for us (Soprano) 5:35
If God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who makes intercession for us.
53.Worthy is the Lamb (Chorus) 7:52
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by his blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing, and honour, glory and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen.