These computer files of Handel’s Vespers psalms (sometimes known as the Carmelite Vespers) were created from Sibelius scores of the same three works, in connection with a performance in Melbourne. These files are now separately available in three different forms:
in MIDI format, suitable for on-line playback, at the Classical Archives;
in Sibelius format, suitable for on-line viewing as well as playback, at my own web site;
and also in Acrobat PDF versions, suitable for download and off-line printing, at the Choral Public Domain Library.
In particular, the psalms Dixit Dominus and Laudate pueri Dominum have been extensively revised and the PDF versions at the CPDL also include the instrumental parts (Strings: 2,2,1,1 and continuo; plus 2 oboes in the Laudate) in addition to the full vocal score. If there is sufficient interest I will revise Nisi Dominus and extract parts likewise.
These scores are transcriptions from Chrysander and Seiffert’s complete Handel edition published in the 19th century, the Händel Gesamtausgabe, usually denoted as HG. Specifically they are taken more or less verbatim from volume 38, which was published in 1872. Although Friedrich Chrysander’s scholarship doesn’t bear comparison to modern editions (particularly the Handel Society volume of the Vespers psalms overseen by H.C. Robbins Landon), my edition has at least had the benefit of a performance to weed out a few errors in Chrysander’s work – as well as several of my own making.
In these editions some minor corrections have been made to resolve harmonic ambiguity between the instrumental and vocal parts, and to remove archaic forms of tied notes. The alto and tenor parts are notated in the familiar modern clefs rather than the alto and tenor clefs. The Viola II part is notated in alto clef rather than as Chrysander (and presumably Handel) notated it, using the tenor clef for the most part. In Dixit Dominus, the sequence from Juravit Dominus to Conquassabit is essentially unbroken, so the editor has labelled the main musical divisions and renumbered bars from the beginning of each section. This may lead to different numeration of bars from other editions.
In Chrysander’s edition the Violoncello, Bass, and Continuo parts are almost always compressed onto the one stave of music (the exception is De torrente of Dixit, where the cello has a separate part notated). Thus in the instrumental parts some editorial discretion is required in allocating music to each instrument; the disposition of the second oboe in Laudate pueri Dominum is less than clear in Chrysander’s edition. Hence the continuo part is reproduced more or less exactly, with figuring; the Violoncello part has had instrumental doublings removed (where the Continuo part reproduces the violin or viola parts), and the Bass part in addition has had the solo passages for the cello removed; this includes the whole of Virgam virtutis in Dixit. The bass follows the continuo part in De torrente rather than the separate part for cello.
I would like to acknowledge use of Brad Leissa’s catalogue of Handel’s works (found on his web site at http://www.intr.net/bleissa/handel/home.html) for the documentation given below.
Philip Legge, 28 September 2000. Comments on the scores are most welcome.
N.B. please replace the capital letters in the e-mail address with the appropriate characters.
MIDI playback / Acrobat PDF / Sibelius playback version requires the Scorch plug-in
MIDI playback / Acrobat PDF / Sibelius playback version requires the Scorch plug-in
MIDI playback / Acrobat PDF / Sibelius playback version requires the Scorch plug-in
Revised 6 January 2006 (re: new URLs).