Händel MessiahNo. 9 (measures 107-138)Händel's Messiah is a majestic composition from the Baroque era; rich in history, deep in meaning, and intensely intimidating when asked to dig deep into its inner workings. When I first received this assignment, I was overwhelmed by what I was being asked to do. But after analyzing and critiquing the melody, adding figured bass symbols, analyzing macro-chords, adding Roman numerals, and commenting on the lead voice in the chords moving into root position, I feel like I've only scratched the surface of everything that Handel put it in Messiah. In this article I will discuss and criticize the melody, addressing the effect of consonant and dissonant sounds, commenting on the unusual movement between chords in root position, and looking at the aesthetic effect of what Handel did with this part of Messiah. of the melody, which I assumed were the vocal parts, the first thing I noticed was that in the soprano part there is a jump from an A3 to a D4, followed by an E4. This is interesting, because according to the principles of the lead voice a melodic interval greater than a perfect fourth, which is what we have from A to D, should be approached and left in the direction opposite to the leap or it should outline a triad. What we have instead is an upward continuation, without delineating a triad. This happens in the tenor part at measure 114, again in the bass part at the end of measure 119 up to measure 120, and one last time, again in the bass part, with a leap of an octave. Handel breaks this rule as well as that of repeated figures of three or more tones. This can be found in measures 117 to 118 in tenor and alto,...... in the center of the sheet ......as. In this article I have outlined my criticism of the melody, the exciting effect that consonance and dissonance have, strange movement between the chords of the root position and how I perceive the ensemble difference in this part in Handel's work. Overall, this assignment helped me understand how important it is to know theory to fully understand the musicality of a composition. Music is not just about sound, although that plays a colossal role. Fully understanding a composition requires patience, a positive outlook, and a desire to take time to grasp all the hidden meanings behind the chord structures, note sequences, and chosen lyrics. This assignment taught me how to take what I learned in class and apply it in reality. Everything I have been taught this semester has been put to the test and hopefully stood up to the challenge.