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Almost blind, he died in 1759 a respected and rich man, and was given a state funeral at Westminster Abbey. Handel composed more than forty opere serie over a period of more than thirty years. Since the late 1960s, interest in Handel's music has grown.
- List of Compositions by George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759)...
- List of Compositions by George Frideric Handel
From 1751 Handel gradually lost his eyesight, and he passed away on April 14 (Easter Saturday) 1759. It seems that Handel had a supremely high regard of his own talent, or at least played such a role to perfection in the upper echelons of early Georgian Britain.
Handel: 15 facts about the great composer. George Frideric Handel, one of the Baroque era's greatest composers, led a passionate, eventful and occasionally tragic life - but how much do you really know?
- Overview
- Life
George Frideric Handel, a German-born English composer of the late Baroque era, was known particularly for his operas, oratorios, and instrumental compositions. He wrote the most famous of all oratorios, Messiah (1741).
What was George Frideric Handel’s early life like?
George Frideric Handel showed a marked gift for music at an early age, becoming a skilled keyboard player by age 9. Although his father did not like the idea of his son pursuing a career in music, Handel followed his musical inclination, later becoming well known for his compositions.
When was George Frideric Handel born?
George Frideric Handel was born on February 23, 1685, in Halle, Brandenburg (now in Germany).
George Frideric Handel (born February 23, 1685, Halle, Brandenburg [Germany]—died April 14, 1759, London, England) was a German-born English composer of the late Baroque era, noted particularly for his operas, oratorios, and instrumental compositions. He wrote the most famous of all oratorios, Messiah (1741), and is also known for such occasional pieces as Water Music (1717) and Music for the Royal Fireworks (1749).
Handel was the son of a barber-surgeon. He showed a marked gift for music and became a pupil in Halle of the composer Friedrich W. Zachow, learning the principles of keyboard performance and composition from him. His father died when Handel was 11, but his education had been provided for, and in 1702 he enrolled as a law student at the University of Halle. He also became organist of the Reformed (Calvinist) Cathedral in Halle, but he served for only one year before going north to Hamburg, where greater opportunities awaited him. In Hamburg, Handel joined the violin section of the opera orchestra. He also took over some of the duties of harpsichordist, and early in 1705 he presided over the premiere in Hamburg of his first opera, Almira.
Handel spent the years 1706–10 traveling in Italy, where he met many of the greatest Italian musicians of the day, including Arcangelo Corelli and Alessandro Scarlatti and his son Domenico. He composed many works in Italy, including two operas, numerous Italian solo cantatas (vocal compositions), Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno (1707) and another oratorio, the serenata Aci, Galatea e Polifemo (1708), and some Latin (i.e., Roman Catholic) church music. His opera Agrippina enjoyed a sensational success at its premiere in Venice in 1710.
Handel’s years in Italy greatly influenced the development of his musical style. His fame had spread throughout Italy, and his mastery of the Italian opera style now made him an international figure. In 1710 he was appointed Kapellmeister to the elector of Hanover, the future King George I of England, and later that year Handel journeyed to England. In 1711 his opera Rinaldo was performed in London and was greeted so enthusiastically that Handel sensed the possibility of continuing popularity and prosperity in England. In 1712 he went back to London for the production of his operas Il pastor fido and Teseo (1713). In 1713 he won his way into royal favour by his Ode for the Queen’s Birthday and the Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate in celebration of the Peace of Utrecht, and he was granted an annual allowance of £200 by Queen Anne.
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Composers & Their Music
Recognized by prominent members of both the English aristocracy and the intelligentsia, Handel was in no hurry to return to Hanover. Soon he had no need to do so, for on the death of Queen Anne in 1714, the elector George Louis became King George I of England. In 1718 Handel became director of music to the duke of Chandos, for whom he composed the 11 Chandos Anthems and the English masque Acis and Galatea, among other works. Another masque, Haman and Mordecai, was to be the effective starting point for the English oratorio.
George Frideric Handel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) composed works including 42 operas; 24 oratorios; more than 120 cantatas, trios and duets; numerous arias; odes and serenatas; solo and trio sonatas; 18 concerti grossi; and 12 organ concertos.
George Frederic Handel. Musician and Composer. George Frederic Handel, the famous composer, is buried in the south transept of Westminster Abbey. He was born at Halle in Saxony in 1685, son of Georg and Dorothea, and died in London in 1759.
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George Frideric Handel. Will of composer George Frederic Handel (1685-1759) June, 1750. Handel, though born in Germany, lived most of his life in England. King George I was a great patron of his...
