R.M.20.f.3

ROYAL MUSIC COLLECTION. (Händel-Gesellschaft XLIII). According to Barclay Squire the MS. is foliated throughout in pencil by Handel [?doubtful]. Between ff. 35 and 36 is an unfoliated single leaf, ruled with staves but otherwise blank, originally foliated 36; ff. 2v, 34v, 61v, 68v and 93v are ruled with staves but otherwise blank. See also R.M.20.h.5. (ff. 1-3), R.M.20.f.12. (f. 1); for a copy see R.M.18.e.7. See also Donald Burrows and Martha J. Ronish, A Catalogue of Handel’s Musical Autographs (Oxford: Clarendon, 1994), pp. 139-142.

ff. 107. 9.5 x 11.75in.

Points of note:

1. f. 1. ‘Ouverture the Occasional Oratorio Anno 1746’.

2. f. 2. The last eight bars of H-G., p. 3.

3. f. 3. H-G., p. 2, line 2., with a different version of the last eight bars of H-G., p. 3, crossed out in pencil.

4. f. 10. The Adagio (H-G., p. 14) is followed by a ‘Menuet’, crossed out in pencil. The ‘Marche’ (H-G., p. 16) is not in the MS.

5. ff. 15-17. From the end of H-G., p. 22, line 1, bar 2, a longer version is cut and altered in pencil.

6. f. 19. ‘Let us break’ (H-G., p. 25). No tempo marked.

7. f. 23. ‘O Lord, how many’ (H-G., p. 34, version A).

8. f. 25. ‘O Lord, how many’ (H-G., p. 35, version B).

9. f. 26. ‘Jehovah, to my words’. The dotted brackets in H-G., p. 39 represent pencil cuts in the MS.

10. f. 28. H-G., p. 43. Version A. Crossed out in pencil.

11. f. 28v. H-G., p. 44. Version B. At the end: ‘Repetatr Chorus sub litera B’ (referring to ‘B’ on f. 21).

12. f. 29. ‘The Highest, who’. The version in H-G., p. 48, follows pencilled alterations in the MS. ‘God /He [underwritten] has His Mansion’ (H-G., p. 164) in A minor, for Soprano. The first leaf is altered and crossed out in pencil.

13. f. 31. ‘O who shall pour’ (H-G., p. 48, version A). At the end: ‘Segue l’aria fly from the threatening vengeance, fly’.

14. f. 32. ‘Fly from the cleaving mischief’. Air (S.). Marked (in pencil) ‘Miss Robinson’; and in ink ‘Miss Rob’; not in H-G.

15. f. 35. ‘The Lord shall speak’. (H-G., p. 48). At the end a mark refers to ‘O who shall pour’ (f. 31).

16. f. 35. ‘Fly from the threatning vengeance’ (H-G., p. 52). Version A (p. 56).

17. f. 38v. ‘His scepter [sic] is the rod’. The bars within dotted brackets in H-G. (pp. 63-64) represent pencilled cuts.

18. f. 44. ‘Be wise’ (H-G., p. 69), marked (in pencil): ‘Frances[ina]’.

19. f. 45. ‘Be wise’. Chorus. (H-G., p. 71). Other words are occasionally written, beginning ‘The Lord hath given strenght unto his people, be taught ye Judges of the earth’.

20. f. 62v. ‘Who trusts in God’. (H-G., p. 99) and ‘Prophetick visions’ (p. 100). Marked (in pencil) ‘Fr[ancesina]’.

21. f. 65v. ‘The hostile band’ (H-G., p. 105). Different words (‘o’er-thrown affrighted leaves the land’) are written (in pencil) over ‘discomfited forsakes the land’.

22. f. 66. ‘May God from whom’. The version in the MS. differs from that in H-G., p. 106.

23. f. 75. ‘How great and many’ (H-G., p. 134). Marked in pencil (at top): ‘Frances[ina]’; at the side: ‘Ga[mbarini]’.

24. f. 77. ‘To God our strenght’ (H-G., p. 145). At the end of the Largo: ‘NB. segue prepare the Hymn’.

25. f. 81. ‘After long storms’ (H-G., p. 137) marked (in pencil): ‘Fr[ancesina]’ and ‘Ga[mbarini]’. The second part is longer than as printed in H-G., which follows pencilled cuts in the MS.

26. f. 85. ‘To God our strenght’ A shorter version than in H-G., p. 145, but crossed out in pencil.

27. f. 86v. ‘Prepare the hymn’ (H-G., p. 152). Marked ‘A tempo ordinario’.

28. f. 93. ‘Segue He has His mantion [sic] ex H’. ‘poi segue Chorus Hallelujah. Your Voices raise, Jehovah, Lord of Hosts to praise Hallelujah’. The first bar only of ‘Your voices raise’ is written, marked ‘Mr. Beard’.

29. f. 94. An inserted leaf with a note in the hand of F. Nicolai.

30. f. 95. ‘When warlike ensigns’ (H-G., p. 231)

31. f. 98v. ‘The enemy said’ (H-G., p. 239). At the end: ‘Segue th’Enemy said Air con stromenti ⅜’. Followed by ‘The sword that’s drawn’. (H-G., p. 244).

32. f. 100. At the end of ‘The sword that’s drawn’: ‘Segue il Coro Millions’.

33. f. 101. A crossed-out ending to ‘The sword that’s drawn’.

34. f. 101v. ‘Millions unborn’ (H-G., p. 248).

35. f. 103v. ‘When Israel’. Recit. (H-G., p. 248).

36. f. 104. ‘When Israel’. Air. (H-G., p. 254).

37. f. 105v. ‘Tyrants whom no cov’nants’ (H-G., p. 258).

38. f. 107v. The MS. ends here (H-G., end of p. 261) and is marked: ‘Da capo. si scriva’.

John Milton, poet: Edmund Spenser, poet: Newburgh Hamilton, author and librettist: Handel's 'Occasional Oratorio'(HWV62) to a libretto by Newburgh Hamilton, after texts by John Milton and Edmund Spenser: 18th cent.

Frederick Nicolay, royal musician and librarian: Handel's autograph scores annotated by: circa 1760- circa 1809: Autogr.

George Frideric Handel, composer: Music manuscripts: 18th cent: Autogr.

includes:

• f. 32 John Milton, poet: Newburgh Hamilton, author and librettist: Handel's 'Samson' (HWV57) to a libretto by Newburgh Hamilton, after a text by John Milton: circa 1741-1770.