Handel
was born in Halle in Saxony (now Germany), the son of a 63-year-old
barber-surgeon.
His father intended that he should study law, but Handel longed to explore music
- so much so that he smuggled a small clavichord into their attic. On a visit to
the court of Saxe-Weissenfels, where his father was the court barber, Handel was
overheard playing the organ by the Duke, who managed to convince the reluctant
parent of the boy's musical potential. Handel subsequently studied both law and
music, mastering the organ, violin and harpsichord, composing in different
musical forms and spending hours copying scores from the manuscript collection
of his teacher, the organist and composer Friedrich Zachau.
Handel entered Halle University in 1702 and within a month was engaged as the probationary organist at the Calvinist cathedral in Halle. He enjoyed a year of free lodgings before moving on to Hamburg, the only German city, excluding the courts, with an opera house. He was employed as a violinist at the opera house, then harpsichordist, and within three years his first two operas were staged. In 1706 he met the heir to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, who invited him to Florence - the start of three formative and creative years in Italy. Here he met many leading composers, including Corelli, the Scarlattis and Vivaldi, all of whose influences can be heard in his music. He was inspired to write operas, notably Agrippina which was performed 27 times, as well as oratorios and more than 150 cantatas. He created quite a name for himself, particularly in Venice, before traveling to Innsbruck to meet the Governor of the Tyrol. From there he journeyed to Hanover to work as the Kappellmeister to the Elector, the man destined to accede to the English throne.
In 1710 Handel visited London to produce his opera Rinaldo,
and was inspired by its success to settle there permanently. Queen Anne
awarded him a pension of _f2OO per annum, but Handel's position became difficult
when she died and the Elector of Hanover, from whom he had played truant, became
King of England. One story relates that a reconciliation was effected when King
George made a sailing excursion on the Thames: a second barge carrying 50
musicians under Handel's direction shadowed the royal boat, performing the now
famous Water Music. The King was so
captivated that he requested three renditions of the hour- long concert,
forgiving the composer, and raising his pension to C600.
From 1718 to 1720 Handel served as music director to the Duke of Chandos, and during
this period he wrote the Chandos Anthems and
the dramatic oratorio Acis and Galatea. He
generally found patrons easily; in the winter of 1718-19 the nobility combined
forces to create and fund the Royal Academy of Music to promote Italian opera in
London, with Handel as musical director. For eight years the focus for operatic
activity in Europe was London, and Handel enjoyed many triumphs, including Giulio
Cesare in 1724. He was appointed composer to the Royal Chapel, moved to a
house in Grosvenor Square, and sought English naturalization.
In 1740 Handel composed his 12 Concerti
grossi, Opus 6, for strings and optional woodwind, which with Bach's Brandenburg
concertos represent the peak of instrumental writing during the Baroque. The
next year he went to Dublin, where he began a series of 'musical entertainments' that were an instant success. On 1 3 April 1742 he premiered his oratorio
the Messiah to an enraptured Dublin
audience. The Messiah was, incredibly,
written in just one month in 1741. Based on texts from the Bible, it falls into
three parts: the anticipation of the Messiah and Christ's birth; Christ's
Passion; and Christ as the Redeemer. Handel altered the work's orchestration to
suit the demands of various performances, and during his lifetime there was no
one definitive edition. Of the famous 'Hallelujah Chorus', Handel was moved to
say, 'I thought I saw all Heaven before me, and the great God himself.'
Handel took the work back to England the following year, where it was initially less
well received but gradually found favour. At Covent Garden he initiated a series
of concerts and in 1744 staged the oratorios Belshazzar
and Hercules. For the 1744-5 season he returned to the King's Theatre but
his earlier success was not repeated and the series closed early.
After the Fireworks Music Handel wrote
relatively little.. He was unsuccessfully operated on for eye cataracts, which
left him blind for the last seven years of his life. He died in London at the age
of 74 and was buried in Westminister Abbey.
Charlotte Church
(Handel et al.)
Handel-Music for the Royal Fireworks; Water Music
Handel-Water & Fireworks Music
Hallelujah Choral Favourites (Handel's "Hallelujah" from Messiah is included!)
Air and Variations
Acis and Galatea
Handel;Arias
The Best of Handel
Messiah