Handel
George Frederick Handel (1685 –1759) was a
German born, English composer.
Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach were the
last of the Baroque Masters. During
his lifetime, Handel was known mainly as
an opera composer and producer, but his
fame today came mainly on his English
oratories, especially The Messiah (1742).
His music has strength and
simplicity. Handel’s operas are not often heard,
but "Largo," an aria from
Serse, and other selections are sometimes played
in concerts. Handel was born
in Halle and attended the University of Halle as a
student of law due to his
father’s wishes. During his education there his
interest in music awakened
and this was aided by the three years of lessons
given to him by an organ
player Wilhelm Zachow. In 1697 Handel’s father died,
and no longer being
subject to his wishes, Handel left Halle and went to Hamburg
as a violin
player in an orchestra. This spoiled his chances of becoming a
lawyer but
improved his chances of success as an artist. Young Handel became a
skilled
organist and harpsichordist, and after playing with an opera company
in
Hamburg went to Italy in 1706 to study opera. In 1710 Handel became
court music
director for the elector of Hanover. He immediately afterwards
took a leave of
absence and visited London for six months. He returned to
London in 1712. His
patron was crowned King of England in 1714 and Handel
remained, becoming a
British subject in 1726. For more than 15 years
Handel composed and produced
Italian opera in London. Following the
success of The Beggar’s Opera (1728),
by Gay and Pepusch, Italian opera lost
favor and Handel turn to oratorios.
George Frederick Handel eventually
became blind, much like J. S. Bach, and died
in
1759.
Bibliography
"George Frederick Handel"Encyclopedia
Britannica Inc. The New
Encyclopedia Britannica. Chicago, IL:
Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 1991.
Anonymous epitaph, printed in a
newspaper on 21 April 1759