Handel · Messiah HWV 56 | Mozart · Divertimento K 563
Set Works Overview
Key facts, context and musical features for both set works
Messiah HWV 56 — Comfort ye, my people & Ev'ry valley shall be exalted
Messiah (1741) is an English oratorio — dramatic music on a religious subject, not staged. The libretto was assembled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and Psalms, meditating on redemption through Christ. It premiered in Dublin on 13 April 1742 to great acclaim. The two movements studied form the opening 'scene' of Part I ("Isaiah's Prophecy of Salvation"), both in E major, setting Isaiah 40:1–4. Handel scores the work for five vocal soloists, five-part chorus, two oboes, two bassoons, two trumpets, strings and basso continuo.
Divertimento in E♭ major K 563 — Third movement: Menuetto and Trio
The Divertimento K 563 (1788) is Mozart's only work for string trio (violin, viola, cello) and his last divertimento. Composed in Vienna, it was dedicated to Michael Puchberg, a Freemason acquaintance who lent Mozart money. Mozart himself played viola at the premiere in Dresden (13 April 1789). The overall movement follows ternary form: Menuetto – Trio – Menuetto da capo (the da capo is played without repeats). Unusually, both Menuetto and Trio are in E♭ major. The work is in six movements, reflecting the multi-movement structure of a divertimento.
Structural Maps
Detailed form diagrams and bar-by-bar outlines
Form: AA'B with ritornello — Accompagnato recitative
| Section | Bars | Text | Key | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ritornello 1 | 1–4 | — | E major | Rising 3rd motive (x); perfect cadence elides with voice entry |
| A (verse 1) | 4–14 | "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people" | E major | Echo motive (bars 5, 7, 12–13); ad libitum cadenza (bar 8); "saith your God" echoed forte |
| A' (verse 2) | 15–30 | "Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem…" | E → B major | More continuous; perfect cadence in B major (bar 23 and 29); closes with ritornello in B |
| B (verse 3) | 30–37 | "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness…" | B → A major | Declamatory recitative style; block chords only; sparse texture; transitions to aria |
Form: Binary AB framed by ritornello — Aria for tenor
| Section | Bars | Text/Key | Motives | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ritornello | 1–9 | E major | x, y, z | 3 phrases (a, b, b'); introduces all motivic material |
| Section A | 10–41 | "Ev'ry valley…" — E → B major | x, y then z | Echo on "Ev'ry valley"; rising melisma on "exalted" (word painting); closes B major |
| Part Ritornello | 41–43 | B major | b only | Modified phrase b; firm perfect cadence in B major |
| Section B | 44–72 | "Ev'ry valley" again — B → A → E major | x, y then z | Moves through A major; returns to E; interrupted cadence at bar 72 (V–VI) |
| Recitative bar | 73 | "The crooked straight" — E major | — | Single bar of recitative; delays final cadence |
| Ritornello | 76–84 | E major | x, y, z | Full ritornello; completes the frame |
Allegretto — String Trio in E♭ major
| Section | Bars | Key | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| A — phrase 1 | 1–4 | E♭ major | Motive x (forte, hemiola, tonic arpeggios) + motive y (piano, voice exchange, dominant) |
| A — phrase 2 | 5–8 | E♭ major | x over dominant / y over tonic; antecedent–consequent |
| A — phrase 3 | 9–16 | E♭ → B♭ | Tonicises VI (C minor) as pivot; modulates to B♭ major; perfect cadence bar 16 |
| A — closing | 17–24 | B♭ major | Two 4-bar ideas; scale figure in viola then violin; reinforces B♭ |
| B — digression | 25–35 | E♭ → V of E♭ | Sequential development of x; sequences on V and VI; preparation for restatement |
| B — restatement | 36–51 | E♭ major | Main theme returns (now cello in consequent, bar 40–43); structural perfect cadence bar 51 |
| B — closing (extended) | 52–65 | E♭ major | Scale figure; tonicises II (F minor) bar 58; recalls bars 30–34 at end |
Allegretto — String Trio in E♭ major
| Section | Bars | Key | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| A — phrase 1 | 1–10 | E♭ → B♭ major | Breaks expected sequence at bar 4; motive z introduced; perfect cadence V–I in B♭ (bars 9–10) |
| B — opening | 11–24 | B♭ major → E♭ | Cello takes violin melody; z extended; German aug. 6th chord (bar 24); imperfect cadence |
| B — sequence | 25–29 | E♭ rising | x in rising stepwise sequence; interchange between violin and viola |
| B — in A♭ | 30–39 | A♭ major → E♭ | Violin melody now in viola; same harmonic progression as bars 1–10; ends perfect cadence E♭ |
| B — closing | 40–45 | E♭ major | Confirms tonic; rounds off the Trio |
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