George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

George Fredric Handel

born in Halle, GermanyFather was a wealthy barber/surgeon that believed that Handel should never enter the music field. Born Georg Friedrich Händel, Handel anglicized the spelling of his name after becoming a British citizen in 1727. Handel never married.

Early Years

Learned opera style through actively absorbing it as a violin player in Hamburg.

First opera was Almira (age 20).

Was a great success for his age.

Age 25 appointed as the conductor for the Elector of Hanover.

Hanover

He traveled to London to stage his opera, which was very well received

The next time he went to London, he just stayed

He was dismissed by the Elector of Hanover

The elector of Hanover, was crowned King George I of England in 1714.

Oops!

Handel’s Water Music 1717

An offering to King George I after irritating His Serene Highness.

Music for an outing on the Thames river.

His former salary (in Hanover) was doubled

Water Music (1717)

Dance Suite

First performance lacking Basso Continuo Instruments: Harpsichord or Clavichord would not fit in the boat. Too Top Heavy.

Hornpipe, Lentement as well as the standard dance forms.

G.F. Handel

1720 Founded the Royal Academy of Music

Purpose: presentation of Italian Opera

OPERA SERIA: Italian opera, sung in Italian, serious themes, serious plots, high aristocratic form of entertainment.

wrote about 40 operas

Italian Opera in England

At first was popular, but the royal academy of music did not remain successful.

Squabbles between Handel and his opera manager Bononcini.

Mismanagement of funds at the opera house.

New Operatic Forms Compound Handel’s Problem

Success of John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera.

Ballad or Dialogue Opera: opera with spoken text, light, humorous, sung in the vernacular language.

http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed/Humanities/Opera/OperaComment_VOD.asp

Oratorio

Baroque vocal piece.

Multi-movement

First oratorios were sacred operas.

Oratorio

Eventually stripped of staging and costumes etc.

At the end of the Baroque it was simply a “non-staged event.”

Middle and late oratorio used no acting, staging, costumes. -- Concert version.

Based upon a biblical story

Oratorio

Like opera:large-scale work

recitatives tell story

arias ponder

ensembles of main characters

orchestra

English language

plots: O.T. stories

Chorus = VIMP

Narrator = VIMP

NO Visual

Unlike opera

Soloists, orchestra, chorus.

Uses all of the “MUSICAL” elements of opera to create a non-staged event.

Oratorio

Sudden change in fashion in London; oratorios replace operas as favored entertainment

Oratorio – unstaged narrative work for voices, chorus & orchestra, usually on religious themes

More generally, a move to new, Classical, style in opera puts Handel on the operatic shelf for 200 years

Middle Class Appeal

England had just lived through the Commonwealth period when restrictions on society and on the middle class were perceived as unbearable.

Middle Class Appeal

Middle class identified with the Old Testament stories found in Handel’s oratorio’s. (Freeing of the Hebrews…. Promised Messiah)

Concerts given in benefit to the poor, hospitals, orphanages.

The odd fate of Handel’s operas

Even Handel’s best and very popular operas fell out of favor, and were rarely if ever performed again until the 20th Century. Compare that to thecase of Handel’s Messiah which has been performed every year since its premiere in 1742.

Messiah (1742)

Premiered in Dublin, Ireland.

Composed in 24 days.

Libretto: Biblical verses divided in three parts:

Structure of Messiah

Christmas: prophecy and coming of Christ.

Easter: The passion of Christ

Redemption: detailing how to live through faith.

Concert etiquette for Messiah

Why stand at the Hallelujah Chorus.

Tradition or Religious significance?

King George

the Top 10 (possible) reasons

the king was awakened by the loud chords of the beginning of the chorus

he was tired of sitting

he was hard of hearing and thought they were playing “God Save the King”

he had gout and stood for relief

he arrived late and all stood when he entered

he had hemorrhoids and stood for relief

he had to go to the bathroom

he mistook the words “And he shall reign forever and ever” to be a personal tribute

he thought the chorus was so splendid that he assumed it marked the end of the show

he was actually moved and inspired to stand

1749 Produced Music for the Royal Fireworks to celebrate the end of the War of Austrian Succession

Unlike Bach

H’s homophony Classical

era

H’s music popular during & after lifetime

H = OPERA!

Ger It Eng

Handel

Like Bach

large output

many diverse styles & genres; sacred & secular

Handel’s last years

he lost his eyesight during the last years of his life

so did Bach

they had the same physician who treated them both for cataracts

Handelburied in Westminster Abbey

Note the wrong date on the grave marker.

Handel is the greatest composer who ever lived. I would bare my head and kneel at his grave.

- Ludwig Van Beethoven