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… "And the government shall be upon his shoulders"

As I was getting up this morning, the local classical station was playing Handel's Messiah and that familiar phrase above is oft repeated, as I am sure you are well aware. It has always struck me as quite strange. I am hoping some of our musicological  members can help me understand the meaning and intent of Handel giving that phrase such a prominent place in the work. Certainly, it seems to run counter to Christ's own teaching that we should "render under Caesar, the things that are Caesar's, and to God, the things that are God's".

I am aware that our modern American notion of separation of church and state was not the case in the Europe of Handel's time. Also that the medieval church had maneuvered itself into the rather convenient arrangement with earthly Kings that their right to rule proceeded from God. Which was known as the divine right of kings. This fortuitous arrangement put the church officials in the position of validating earthly power as the manifestation of God's will. But all of that still doesn't quite square with the mantra, "and the government shall be upon his shoulders".

From everything I have ever learned Christ did not give a fig for earthly power. Is this as big a contradiction as it appears? Is Handel's Messiah a propaganda piece?

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mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,156 posts
 

Thanks my friend i was well just absent a bit...

Welcome back @mahgister , I haven’t seen you around these parts for quite a spell partner. I Hope you have been well.

It is difficult to change our conditioning habit...

I like choral music more than anything and vocal music because even as a baby my father sing me songs and i listened each noon without knowing even school a radio program with folk choral music , folklore or sacred or popular with three or 4 voices most of the times...

I am not an opera fan as you but a sacred music and folklore or world music choral fan (Armenian,Russian,pygmees african choral, byzantium,old gregorian etc )

I have never been able to make myself into an Opera fan,

 

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bruce19 OP
259 posts
 

@mahgister That is a great memory to have of your father!

I like vocals well enough if I like the music they are embedded in. World and folk, great usually, classic jazz great,  Choral, often, gregorian has always been mesmerizing.  It is the style of Opera singing that I can't warm to. It seems too artificial. Ironically that may be what others see as the ART of it.  I don't cotton to musicals much either, not suprisingly since they are really just modern opera for the most part. Pardon the broad generalizations above.

mark200mph
230 posts
 

There is a second comming of christ where every knee will bow.he will reign with purity and truth according to the book of revelation in the new testiment.as a surgeon i had many patients trauma very bad from accidents.when I got them out of the hospital and back to followup in the office I had several that stated they had the opportunity to stay or go.it was so frequent I doubt it was the anesthesia. 3 states 3 choppers and a jet brought bad trauma in for decades. I hope i have not cast my pearls before the swine. Keep safe stay healthy and enjoy the music.people in any job can be inspired for the good of mankind from on high.

terry9
2,345 posts
 

According to an historian of British monarchy, Handel's music was intended as an instrument of royal power, not unlike the Church of England and the aristocracy. An analogue of the NFL in another place and time.

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,853 posts
 

I'm not interested in the mythological but the music is nice. 

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