Wright 1

Zachariah Wright
Dr. OSullivan
Music Theory 3
10 September 2015
Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart Analysis
Chords to locate and discuss
1.) Handel uses the fully diminished leading tone to show movement out of a key. Using
a purely dominant chord like the V tonicizes the key, something Handel wanted to avoid.
2.) Handel uses the Neapolitan sixth chord to guide the listener into the leading tone of
the dominant of the key. This chord is used by Handel as a sort of climax on the line of
the text man.
3.) Handel uses the Picardy third in measures 8 and 18 for the same reason. The first
Picardy third is used to make the E chord dominant to the A minor. This Picardy third is
not treated as final. The one in measure 18 is used to indicate the dominant of the key of
the next piece, Behold, and see in E minor.
Relationship of Previous and Following Pieces to this Recitative
1.) The piece opens in F minor, shown by Handels use of the E diminished chord. This
sequence is, however, a continuation of the previous pieces C minor, with the Ab chord
acting as a pivot.
2.) The final cadence of the work acts as a half cadence in the key of the following piece.
Cadences, Resolutions
1.) In D minor, the expectation is for the second inversion tonic chord to go to root
position dominant to root position tonic. However, the final resolution is the fully
diminished leading tone of the new key, B minor, which finally resolves to B minor.
2.) The cadence in bars 3-4 is expected to end on III, but instead resolves to V. The
cadence in bars 17-18 is expected to go from fully diminished leading tone of V to V, but
goes to minor tonic, then to the dominant, and finally to a Picardy third.
Modulation
1.) The piece begins in F minor and moves to G minor, E minor, D minor, and B minor.
2.) The keys generally move by a whole step or three half steps. The key areas are all
minor.
Melodic Aspects

Wright 2
1.) The text of this piece shows the plethora of emotions of the singer in a short period of
time. This is evidenced by the rapidly changing key areas. The linear use of the same
lines through different key areas acts as a constant motif, tying the piece together.
2.) In the Piece, Handel has the performer sing nearly every altered tone in the harmony.
This allows the singer to guide the listener through all of the new keys and to help the
harmony feel cohesive.
3.) This piece consists of an A section, measures 1-7, and a B section, measures 8-18. The
purpose of the A section is to express angst and bitterness, while the purpose of the B
section is to express remorse, especially near the end of the piece.