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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