Georg Friedrich Handel
Johann Sebastian Bach once said of Georg Friedrich Handel, 'He is the only person I would wish to see before I die, and the only person I would wish to be, were I not Bach'. German born, Handel is widely regarded as one of the Baroque period's best composers, and it is clear that his contemporaries thought so as well. His works include some of the best-known works of classical music, including Messiah, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks.
| Handel's Messiah |
Born in 1685 (the same year as Bach), Handel did not expect to become a musician or composer. In fact, he began studying law, which was his father's profession. His musical interests had been noted, however, from a young age. His father forbade Handel to learn a musical instrument, but Handel snuck a small harpsichord up to his room to practice on. After his father died in 1703, Handel abandoned his study of law in favor of music. In 1704, he began working at the Hamburg opera house, where his first two operas were performed the following year.
After traveling to Italy for several years, Handel accepted a position as choir master for the German prince, George. Handel traveled with the prince to London, where George would eventually become King George I of Great Britain in 1714. He continued to compose operas, as well as other works. Water Music, for example, was created in July 1717.
Handel's influence went beyond the music that he composed as well. In 1719, he was involved with the founding of the Royal Academy of Music in London. Handel was commissioned for several operas and he was given the position of Master of the orchestra. He also traveled throughout Europe to find singers for the operas that were produced, and adapted works that had been composed in other parts of Europe. He also continued to compose music for the royalty, such as King George II's coronation.
In April 1737, Handel experienced what was probably a stroke. His right arm was temporarily paralyzed and doctors did not believe he would perform again. However, Handel recovered and went back to composing and performing. He did give up managing operas, perhaps because of the money he had lost in this area. In 1749, Handel composed Music for the Royal Fireworks. It is said that about 12,000 people attended the first performance of the piece. From then on, Handel gave an annual concert of his work. He died in 1759 and was buried at Westminster Abbey.
During his lifetime, Handel wrote in virtually all of the major musical forms of the time. This included at least 42 operas and more than 120 cantatas, duets, and trios. Handel's most famous work is without a doubt Messiah, which is an oratorio that uses lyrics from the King James Bible. Although his work was never as well-known as Bach's, he still exerted a great deal of influence on composers. Beethoven would suggest that Handel was the 'master of us all'.
Some scholars have argued that if Handel's work were to be reduced to one adjective, 'cosmopolitan' might be a good word to describe it. In some of his works, Handel appears to have reused common themes as well as borrowed from the work of others. Although he wasn't the most creative or innovative composer during the Baroque period, Handel was extremely good at adapting and using existing themes and techniques.
In this unit, we learned more about the music of the Baroque period. In doing so, we learned about some of the influences on Baroque music and the characteristics of Baroque music. We learned about several of the popular forms of Baroque music, including operas. Finally, we examined four composers who exemplify Baroque music and who helped to influence and direct the creativity of this time period.
Think About
- What social and cultural factors influenced Baroque music?
- What are some of the musical forms common to the Baroque period?
- What are characteristics of Baroque music?
- How does Baroque music differ from the music of earlier time periods?
- What composers influenced Baroque music?
Journal Activity: Answer these questions in your journal.