The Standard Oratorios: Their Stories, Their Music, And Their ComposersUpton, George P. (George Putnam)
Religion
The Standard Oratorios: Their Stories, Their Music, And Their Composers
Upton, George P. (George Putnam)
Oratorio
"The work has been laid out in scenes dealing respectively, in the
first part with the nativity, preaching, healing, and prophesying of
our Lord, ending with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem; and in the
second part, with the utterances which, containing the avowal of
himself as the Son of Man, excited to the utmost the wrath of his
enemies, and led the rulers to conspire for his betrayal and death; the
solemn recital by the chorus of his sufferings, and the belief in his
final reward; the grief of Mary Magdalene at the sepulchre; and the
consolation and triumph of the Disciples at the resurrection of their
Lord and Master."
The first part has four scenes, "Bethlehem," "Nazareth," "Lazarus" (which
might more appropriately have been entitled "Bethany"), and "The Way to
Jerusalem." The scenes of the second part are laid entirely in Jerusalem.
"Bethlehem" includes the message of the angels to the shepherds, their
visit to Mary, the nativity, the warning by the angel to Mary and Joseph
of Herod's design, the lament and consolation of Rachel in Rama, and the
promise of God's blessing upon the child. In "Nazareth" we have a scene
representing Christ in the synagogue reading from Isaiah and declaring
himself the object of the prophecy, his expulsion by the incredulous
crowd of listeners, and his exhortations to his disciples, when left
alone with them, to bear their persecutions with meekness. "Lazarus"
describes the journey to Bethany and our Lord's assurances to the
bereaved sisters that their brother shall rise again. "The Way to
Jerusalem" scene is indicated by its title,--the entry of the Lord into
the city amid the hosannas and exultant acclamations of the people. In
the second part, we have the discourse concerning the sheep and the
goats, the interview between the ruler and the people, and the former's
anger with Nicodemus, the sufferings and death of Christ, and the
resurrection and joy of the disciples as they glorify God and sing the
praises of their risen Master.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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