R.M.20.f.6

ROYAL MUSIC COLLECTION. (Händel-Gesellschaft X). See also the Preface to H-G. According to Barclay Squire the MS. is foliated throughout in pencil by Handel, but Winton Dean, Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, London, 1959, p. 362, thinks the foliation is much later. It contains stage directions not in the libretto nor in H-G. ff. 6v, 7r, 100v, 134v and 149v are ruled with staves but otherwise blank. See also R.M.20.f.3. (f. 32); for copies see R.M.18.e.3., Eg. 2938, Add. MSS 37323, 37324, 37325. See also Donald Burrows and Martha J. Ronish, A Catalogue of Handel’s Musical Autographs (Oxford: Clarendon, 1994), pp. 146-150.

ff. 149. 9.25 x 12in.

Points of note:

1. f. 1. Overture. The directions as to Ripieni in H-G. are not in the MS.

2. f. 4. The Allegro (H-G., p. 4) is followed by a second Allegro (not in H-G.).

3. f. 6. ‘Menuet’ (H-G., p. 8).

4. f. 7v. ‘Act the first Scene 1. Samson blind and in chains. Chorus of the Priests of Dagon celebrating his festivals at a distance’. At the end of the recitative (H-G., p. 10): ‘Segue Chorus of the Priests of Dagon awake the trumpets lofty sound’.

5. f. 8. ‘Ye men of Gaza’ (H-G.,p. 19). ‘Signora Avolio’. At the end (f. 10): ‘poi il Coro awake the Trumpet’s lofty Sound. Repetr’.

6. f. 10v. ‘Why by an angel’ (H-G., p. 36).

7. f. 11. ‘Loud as the Thunder’s awful voice’ (H-G., p. 27). ‘Mr. Low’. The air has been considerably shortened (in ink).

8. f. 13v. ‘Then free from sorrow’ (H-G., p. 32). ‘Miss Edwards’.

9. f. 15. ‘Torments, alas!’ (H-G., p. 37).

10. f. 17. ‘O change beyond report!’ (H-G., p. 40). At the end: ‘Segue l’Aria di Micah’.

11. ff. 17v-23v. ‘O mirror of our fickle state’. See the Preface to H-G. X, pp. iv, v.

12. ff. 24v-25. Recitatives (H-G., p. 45). More words are written in the MS, but without music.

13. f. 26. At the end of ‘Total eclipse’ (H-G., p. 47) the words of a recitative for Micah are written, without music.

14. f. 30v. ‘O ever failing trust’. This recitative and the following air are marked ‘Micah’ ‘for Guadagni: Aria’, and written in the Alto clef.

15. f. 33. ‘O ever failing trust’, etc., in the Tenor clef. ‘Mr. Low’.

16. f. 35. A setting for chorus of ‘Oft he that’s most exalted high’, in G major, partly crossed out in ink.

17. f. 37v. ‘Thy glorious deeds’ (H-G., p. 64). The words are written above the stave; those written below are: ‘The warlike cornets spoke aloud Your triumphs to the shouting crowd. Now solemn musick plays its part, And shows the anguish of my heart’. At the end: ‘Si ripete tutta l’aria per la 2 strofa’.

18. f. 48v. Recitatives (H-G. p. 89). The words of a long passage are written, without music.

19. f. 54v. ‘End of the first Act Sept. 29, 1741’.

20. f. 59. ‘Return, oh God of hosts’. At the end: ‘Da capo’ (crossed out in ink); ‘Attacca il coro’.

21. f. 59v. ‘To dust his glory’. Air and chorus (H-G., p. 113). Marked: ‘NB Coro’.

22. f. 62. ‘To dust his glory’. Set as a chorus only, in F, allegro.

23. f. 65v. Recitatives (H-G., p. 118). ‘Dalila Mrs. Clive’.

24. f. 66v. At the end of Samson’s recitative (H-G., p. 120) ‘How cunningly…take thou to thine’, the MS. has a recitative for Dalila, with pencilled alterations and marked at the beginning: ‘aria with plantive notes’. The Air is in A, marked (in ink): ‘Sigra Avolio’, and (in pencil) ‘un tono piu basso. ex G’.

25. f. 69v. At the end of ‘With plantive notes’ (in pencil): ‘Segue Delilah alas! etc., poi Samson’. The recitative ‘Did love constrain thee’ follows.

26. f. 71v. ‘Forgive what’s gone’, and ‘My faith and truth’. ‘Dalila Mrs. Clive’.

27. f. 73. ‘Miss Edwards a Virgin to Delila’ (H-G., p. 137).

28. f. 74. At the end of the duet: ‘NB Chorus of Virgins segue. tutti Soprani Mrs Clive, Sigra Avolio, Miss Edwards, and Boys’. [Three parts SSA according to Dean, Winton, Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, London, 1959, p. 363].

29. f. 79. ‘Traitor to love’ (H-G., p. 147). ‘Dalila. Mrs. Clive. Samson Mr. Beard’.

30. f. 80v. A second part to the duet ‘Traitor to love’, crossed out in pencil and marked: ‘la 2da volta senza Rittorn. attaca il Recit. di Micah She’s gone’.

31. f. 81. At the end of Micah’s recitative (H-G., p. 152) more words are written, but without music. Then: ‘follows here the Song. fly from the cleaving mischief fly, for Guadagni, ex D. un tono piu basso’.

32. f. 81v. ‘It is not virtue’ (H-G., p. 152). Written in the Alto clef. Pencil note: ‘Ex D. in Soprano for Miss Edwards’.

33. f. 83. ‘To man God’s universal law’ (H-G., p. 156) The Grave movement has originally been accompanied by Violins and Oboes. Crossed out in pencil and marked ‘Paus: 6’.

34. f. 89. At the end of ‘Honour and arms’ the MS. has recitatives for Samson and Harapha (partly words only). All are crossed out in pencil, and the version on H-G., p. 170 pencilled in.

35. f. 90. ‘My strenght is firm’. ‘Pomposo’ (not Larghetto e Pomposo’, as in H-G., p. 170).

36. f. 91v. (H-G., p. 174). Recitatives for Samson and Harpha, crossed out and altered in pencil.

37. f. 92. Another version of ‘My strenght is firm’ (crossed out in ink), followed by the recitatives: ‘Canst thou…death’ (H-G., p. 174).

38. f. 98v. ‘Dagon arise’ (H-G., p. 187). At the end: ‘Segue il Coro to Song an[d] dance’.

39. f. 99. ‘To song and dance’. (H-G., p. 290). In the tenor clef. ‘Mr Low’.

40. f. 101. ‘To song and dance’. Chorus (H-G., p. 188).

41. f. 108. ‘Fix’d in his everlasting seat’. From the end of H-G., p. 205, line 2, bar 2, 30 bars of instrumental ritornello have been cut in pencil.

42. f. 108v. ‘End of the second Act.  [Sunday] Octobr. 11. 1741’.

43. f. 113v. Recitatives (H-G., p. 216). More words are in the MS., without music.

44. f. 117. ‘With might endued’ and ‘The holy one of Israel’ (H-G., pp. 224-5): ‘for Guadagni’ (pencil note).

45. f. 120v. At the end of Manoah’s recitative (H-G., p. 231) more words are written, without music.

46. f. 121. ‘Great Dagon has subdued’ (H-G., p. 232): ‘Mr. Low’.

47. f. 123. ‘Great Dagon has subdued’ (H-G., p. 236). ‘Chorus of Philistines at a distance’. ‘Tutti. Sigra Avolio. Mrs. Clive. Miss Edwards and Boys’. From H-G., p. 242, line 2, last bar, 20 bars have been crossed out in ink.

48. f. 126v. Recitatives (H-G., p. 243). More words written, without music.

49. ff. 131, 2. Recitatives (H-G., pp. 252,3). More words written, with and without music.

50. f. 133. After the end of Manoah’s recitative ‘…yet dearly bought’ (H-G., p. 253), a long recitative for Micah (words and music) is marked in pencil to be cut.

51. f. 136. ‘A dead march’ (H-G., p. 295).

52. f. 137. ‘Glorious hero’ (H-G., p. 262). The Alto entry is marked: ‘Mrs. Cibber e tutti’. The Soprano entry: ‘Miss Edwards an Israelite Woman’. The Chorus of Virgins (p. 264) [3 parts, SSA, according to Winton Dean, Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, London, 1959, p. 363]: ‘Sgra. Avolio. Mrs. Clive. Miss Edwards and Boys’. ‘Mrs. Cibber tutti contralti’.

53. f. 140v. End of the chorus: ‘Fine dell’Oratorio’ (crossed out in ink). ‘London. G. F. Handel. [here is the astrological symbol for Thursday] Octobr 29. 1741’.

54. f. 141. Recitatives (H-G., p. 268).

55. f. 141v.. ‘Segue let the bright Seraphims [sic] and the Grand Chorus’.

56. f. 142. ‘Let the bright Seraphims [sic]’ (H-G., p. 269). ‘Signora Avolio’.

57. f. 149. ‘S. D. G., G. F. Handel. Octobr 12. 1742’.

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.

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