Dixit Dominus (Handel)

Dixit Dominus is a psalm setting by George Frideric Handel (catalogued as HWV 232). It uses the Latin text of Psalm 110 (Vulgate 109), which begins with the words Dixit Dominus ("The Lord Said").

The work was completed in April 1707 while Handel was living in Italy. It is Handel's earliest surviving autograph. The work was written in the baroque style and is scored for five vocal soloists (SSATB), chorus, strings and continuo. It is most likely that the work was first performed on 16 July 1707 in the Church of Santa Maria in Montesanto, under the patronage of the Colonna family.

The score was published in 1867. A typical performance lasts a little over 30 minutes.

Movements

The work has the following movements:

Movement Type and voice Text (English) Text (Latin) Original
Biblical Hebrew
1 Chorus The Lord said unto my Lord:
Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool.		 Dixit Dominus Domino meo:
Sede a dextris meis, donec ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum.		 נְאֻם יְהוָה, לַאדֹנִי--שֵׁב לִימִינִי;
עַד-אָשִׁית אֹיְבֶיךָ, הֲדֹם לְרַגְלֶיךָ.
2 Aria
(alto solo)		 The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion:
be thou ruler, even in the midst among thine enemies.		 Virgam virtutis tuae emittet Dominus ex Sion:
dominare in medio inimicorum tuorum.		 מַטֵּה-עֻזְּךָ--יִשְׁלַח יְהוָה, מִצִּיּוֹן;
רְדֵה, בְּקֶרֶב אֹיְבֶיךָ.
3 Aria
(soprano solo)		 In the day of thy power shall the people offer thee free-will offerings with an holy worship.
The dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning.		 Tecum principatus in die virtutis tuae, in splendoribus sanctis.
Ex utero ante luciferum genui te.

עַמְּךָ נְדָבֹת, בְּיוֹם חֵילֶךָ:
בְּהַדְרֵי-קֹדֶשׁ, מֵרֶחֶם מִשְׁחָר; לְךָ, טַל יַלְדֻתֶיךָ.

4 Chorus The Lord swore, and will not repent: Juravit Dominus et non paenitebit eum: נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָה, וְלֹא יִנָּחֵם--
5 Chorus Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech. Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech. אַתָּה-כֹהֵן לְעוֹלָם;

עַל-דִּבְרָתִי, מַלְכִּי-צֶדֶק.

6 Soloists and chorus The Lord upon thy right hand,
shall wound even kings in the day of his wrath.		 Dominus a dextris tuis,
confregit in die irae suae reges.		 אֲדֹנָי עַל-יְמִינְךָ;
מָחַץ בְּיוֹם-אַפּוֹ מְלָכִים.
7 Chorus He shall judge the nations,
fill the places with destruction, and shatter the capitals in many lands.		 Judicabit in nationibus,
Implebit ruinas, conquassabit capita in terra multorum.		 יָדִין בַּגּוֹיִם,
מָלֵא גְוִיּוֹת; מָחַץ רֹאשׁ, עַל-אֶרֶץ רַבָּה.
8 Soprano duet and chorus He shall drink of the brook in the way,
therefore shall he lift up his head.		 De torrente in via bibet,
propterea exaltabit caput.		 מִנַּחַל, בַּדֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּה;
עַל-כֵּן, יָרִים רֹאשׁ.
9 Chorus Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now; and ever shall be, by the centuries of the centuries. Amen.		 Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto,
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.		 —

See also

External links