Oratorio: “Messiah” by Handel

Haixin Peng

When listening to the soprano aria of “Messiah” by George Frideric Handel Handel, it reminded me of the musical-like moments in Disney movies where a princess dances and sings with the accompaniment of her people. Therefore, I started searching for Disney singing excerpts and was surprised to find the resemblance between the two. 

In the video, Belle starts singing by herself and is joined by the town people as she walked. In between lines of melody, she also chats with people she sees on the street which I found interestingly similar to the recitatives in an opera. The form is also ternary with an A-B-A’ pattern which is similar to the form of the lyrical soprano aria.