Yes Rod, they can't hold a candle to Handel when it comes to handling English to music !
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What did Beethoven mean ?
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Originally posted by Rod:
Speaking as one of the few genuine Englishmen left in London, and having recordings of all of Handel's English language productions, I feel qualified to totally contradict your remark. I suppose you would say Bach would have been a natural had he wrote any English pieces? Either way I would be interested if you could provide an example of a superior treatment of the English language by a composer. Gilbert and Sullivan perhaps?!
Perhaps you are confusing awkward sylables with awkward singers, of which there are many in this field? If not, please name me these at best awkard sylables, followed by the totally wrong sylables.
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Originally posted by Sorrano:
One example is replete throughout Messiah. The use of emphasis on the "ed" in past tense verbs which in spoken English is silent.
This is musical licence, a deliberate effect. Thus it is not an error, if you don't like it fair enough, but every number in Messiah is a 'hit'. Some other composers had less hits from their entire output than Handel produced in Part1 alone!
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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin
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Originally posted by Sorrano:
One example is replete throughout Messiah. The use of emphasis on the "ed" in past tense verbs which in spoken English is silent.
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Originally posted by PDG:
It can sound as ugly as it looks. This same phonetic device is also prevalent in contemporary carols, poems, nursery rhymes, etc.
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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin
[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 08-21-2006).]
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Originally posted by PDG:
No! I meant the shortened words can sound ugly compared to their elongated versions. Such as (when sung) "finished" (imprecise two-and-a-half syllables) does not sound as good or scan as well as "finish-ed" (precisely three syllables).
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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin
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