who is this King of Glory?
This is a hell of a depressing thing to read a month before performing in Handel's Messiah.
ETA -- I pulled this from a comment to violetisblue but thought I'd put it up here by way of further explanation: I think that a lot of the biblical text used in the libretto -- at least, the second part of it; the first part is a happy Nativity thing, and the third part is a "yay eternal life" thing -- is problematic more in terms of how it was understood in the context in which the libretto was put together than what it actually says even in its scriptural context [now that I look at it again, most of the passages are from Psalms, so this is pretty much entirely an issue of juxtaposition and interpretation, not an issue of some scriptural passages looking really dodgy without context]. Or at least none of it had previously occurred to me as being particularly dodgy on those grounds.
(The discussion of typology, and the interpretation of certain passages in the Hebrew scriptures as prefiguring Jesus Christ, on the first page of the article is something else and gets into an "is Christianity inherently anti-Semitic" argument I don't think I want to have.)
ETA the full text of the movements the article discusses primarily:
Air (Bass)
Why do the nations so furiously rage together, and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His Anointed.
(Psalms 2:1-2)
Chorus
Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us.
(Psalms 2:3)
Recitative (Tenor)
He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision.
(Psalms 2:4)
Air (Tenor)
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
(Psalms 2:9)
Chorus
Hallelujah! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
(Revelation 19:6)
The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.
(Revelation 11:15)
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
(Revelation 19:16)
Hallelujah!
ETA, again: I was going to make a remark about historicism vs. formalism, but I think I'll pass.
Also, now I have "Why do the nations" stuck in my head.
ETA -- I pulled this from a comment to violetisblue but thought I'd put it up here by way of further explanation: I think that a lot of the biblical text used in the libretto -- at least, the second part of it; the first part is a happy Nativity thing, and the third part is a "yay eternal life" thing -- is problematic more in terms of how it was understood in the context in which the libretto was put together than what it actually says even in its scriptural context [now that I look at it again, most of the passages are from Psalms, so this is pretty much entirely an issue of juxtaposition and interpretation, not an issue of some scriptural passages looking really dodgy without context]. Or at least none of it had previously occurred to me as being particularly dodgy on those grounds.
(The discussion of typology, and the interpretation of certain passages in the Hebrew scriptures as prefiguring Jesus Christ, on the first page of the article is something else and gets into an "is Christianity inherently anti-Semitic" argument I don't think I want to have.)
ETA the full text of the movements the article discusses primarily:
Air (Bass)
Why do the nations so furiously rage together, and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His Anointed.
(Psalms 2:1-2)
Chorus
Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us.
(Psalms 2:3)
Recitative (Tenor)
He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision.
(Psalms 2:4)
Air (Tenor)
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
(Psalms 2:9)
Chorus
Hallelujah! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
(Revelation 19:6)
The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.
(Revelation 11:15)
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
(Revelation 19:16)
Hallelujah!
ETA, again: I was going to make a remark about historicism vs. formalism, but I think I'll pass.
Also, now I have "Why do the nations" stuck in my head.