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We are the web's largest library of International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions and literal translations of opera arias and art song texts.

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Perfect for Voice – 17 Texts from Georg Friedrich Händel’s Messiah

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Messiah-titlepageGeorg Friedrich Händel’s Messiah (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the version of the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer. Originally intended as thought-provoking inspiration for Lent and Easter, this 259-page score was composed in a mere 3-4 weeks.

During the 1700’s, opera and composers were sometimes the subject of moral outrage and some considered this work, as hard as it is to believe, blasphemous.  Händel chose to premier his work in Dublin near Easter time, on April 13, 1742, in part due to the lukewarm response to the previous years’ works in London and also because he was trying to test the work away from Anglican bishops.

Mozart reorchestrated Messiah in 1789 but remained in awe of the composer. “Händel understands effect better than any of us — when he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt… though he often saunters, in the manner of his time, this is always something there,” said Mozart.

Here, with voice type and listening links, are 18 texts on IPA Source from Händel’s oratorio, Messiah.

SOPRANO

Perfect for Soprano: How Beautiful Are the Feet – Their Sound Is Gone Out
Listen to Lynne Dawson: https://youtu.be/IFBEK5Xks6c

Perfect for Soprano: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
Listen to Sylvia McNair: https://youtu.be/Kg7aXEvCeXY

Perfect for Soprano: If God Be for Us, Who Can Be Against Us
Listen to Sarah Brailey: https://youtu.be/a8A5BYyTkxQ

Perfect for Soprano: Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion
Listen to Kathleen Battle: https://youtu.be/bByY2_uXblQ

CONTRALTOBLW Handel

Perfect for Contralto: O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion
Listen to Carolyn Watkinson: https://youtu.be/BqzO8omYJWg

Perfect for Contralto: Come unto Him, All Ye That Labour
Listen to Lila Deis: https://youtu.be/y1vQ1vL_65A

Perfect for Contralto: He Was Despised and Rejected of Men
Listen to Anne Sofie von Otter: https://youtu.be/pjLaSMf0jjk

Perfect for Contralto: O Death, Where Is Thy Sting
Listen to Delphine Galou: https://youtu.be/23s5ZOS_MAo

TENOR

Perfect for Tenor: Behold, and See if There Be Any Sorrow
Listen to John Mark Ainsley: https://youtu.be/zCmd73MMOZM

Perfect for Tenor: But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul in Hell
Listen to Bogdan Mihai: https://youtu.be/Ba-XN_wGwjk

Perfect for Tenor: Ev’ry valley shall be exaulted
Listen to Nicolai Gedda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3ZaoZPOoD0

Perfect for Tenor: Thou Shalt Break Them
Listen to John Mark Ainsley: https://youtu.be/X92SkGNVSMI

Perfect for Tenor: Unto Which of the Angels
Listen to Markus Brutsche: https://youtu.be/wgYs8v0rCDc

BASS

Perfect for Bass: The People That Walked in Darkness
Listen to Matthew Curran: https://youtu.be/3V_ZZ6ENu-E

Perfect for Bass (or alto): But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming
Listen to Bryn Terfel: https://youtu.be/TCOSulk2v5c

Perfect for Bass: The Trumpet Shall Sound
Listen to Philippe Sly: https://youtu.be/13DpmWPV9IU

Perfect for Bass: Thou Art Gone Up on High
Listen to William Sharp: https://youtu.be/HCrpCQE-y1E

Perfect for Bass: Why Do the Nations So Furiously Rage Together
Listen to Donald Gramm: https://youtu.be/JIcRrLn8OcQ

 

(Sources Wikipedia, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Smithsonian Institution, GFHändel.org)

Perfect for voice – 8 arias as set by Camille Saint-Saëns

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Camille Saint-Saëns in 1900 by Pierre Petit
Saint-Saëns

Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (10/9/1835 – 12/16/1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic era. He was also a poet and playwright. In his younger years, he was enthusiastic for music of the modern day, including Schumann, Wagner, and Liszt. However, he remained a traditionalist committed to musical structures by earlier French composers.

Saint-Saëns wrote in many genres, including opera, symphonies, concertos, songs, sacred & secular choral music, solo piano, & chamber music. He was a prodigy, beginning piano lessons at age two and a half, and performing at a Paris salon when he was five years of age.

Because of his commitment to historical structure, however, he was conflicted with composers of the impressionist and dodecaphonic schools of music. His later music was therefore viewed as less appealing, less colorful and more reactionary. He was still giving recitals three months before his death (he went on a concert tour of Algiers and Greece at the age of 85). When he announced his retirement in August 1921, he had been before the public for 75 years.

View our entire collection of texts as set by Camille Saint-Saëns:
https://www.ipasource.com/composer/s/saint-saens-camille-1835-1921.html

Learn more about Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns here.

Organized by opera and voice type, here are links to the IPA text for 8 arias as set by Camille Saint-Saëns. Most include listening links:

Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila

Maudite à jamais soit la race (High Priest: perfect for baritone)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/maudite-a-jamais-soit-la-race.html

Listen to: Ernest Blanc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WRBr3_X3ek&t=26s

Amour! viens aider ma faiblesse (Dalila: perfect for mezzo)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/amour-viens-aider-ma-faiblesse.html

Listen to: Tatiana Troyanos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBCCZU7nCG0

Printemps qui commence (Dalila: perfect for mezzo)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/printemps-qui-commence.html

Listen to: Denyce Grave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bp8P5dnAWQ

Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix (Dalila: perfect for mezzo)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/mon-coeur-s-ouvre-a-ta-voix.html

Listen to: Marilyn Horne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwynxOAoKjo

Vois, ma misère (Samson: perfect for tenor)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/vois-ma-misere.html

Listen to: Jon Vickers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvMlou8dcvk

Saint-Saëns: Henry VIII

Qui donc commande, quand il aime? (Henry VIII: perfect for baritone)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/qui-donc-commande-quand-il-aime.html

Listen to: Philippe Rouillon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocSijzQVHDo

Qui donc élève ici la voix? (Legate: perfect for bass)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/qui-donc-eleve-ici-la-voix.html

Saint-Säens: Oratorio de Noël

Domine, ego credidi (perfect for tenor)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/domine-ego-credidi.html

Listen to: Erland Hagegård
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV7650DGJ40

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