George Frideric Handel
Georg Frideric Handel was born February 23, 1685, in Halle, Germany. Although his father didn't approve of his studying music, his mother supported him. As a child he studied with Frideric Wilhelm Zachow, a successful composer and organist, and he started composing chamber music. In 1703 he accepted a position playing violin for the Hamburg Opera’s Goose Market Theater and taught music lessons on the side. In 1705, he composed his first opera Almira, which was successful enough for him to move to Italy and continue to compose operas there, including Rodrigo and Agrippina. He decided to move to England and composed Rinaldo, which would premier in 1710 at the King's Theater and bring him breakthrough success. He continued to compose Italian-style operas and, in 1719, he became the Master of the Orchestra at the Royal Academy of Music. While there, he composed and produced about two operas each year. Handel became a British citizen in 1726 and anglicized his name to George - instead of Georg.
Because the genre of Italian opera was fading in popularity, he ended up switching to composing oratorios, which are large-scale concert pieces often based on religious texts, though he also did some secular ones. Dublin's Lord Lieutenant commissioned him to compose music for Charles Jennens' libretto in 1741. As a result, his most famous oratorio Messiah premiered in Dublin in 1742. In London, Handel set the 1743 season full of oratorios. Through the following years he would write many oratorios including Semele (1744), Joseph and His Brethren (1744), Hercules (1745), Belshazzar (1745), Occasional Oratorio (1746), Judas Maccabeus (1747), Joshua (1748), Alexander Balus (1748), Susanna (1749), Solomon (1749), Theodora (1750), The Choice of Hercules (1751), Jeptha (1752) and The Triumph of Time and Truth (1757).
In addition to his operas and oratorios, Handel composed instrumental works, the best of which are his concerti grossi, anthems, and other orchestral works. The most popular of these works include Water Music (1717), Coronation Anthems (1727), Trio Sonatas op. 2 (1722–33), Trio Sonatas op. 5 (1739), Concerto Grosso op. 6 (1739) and Music for Royal Fireworks (1749).
He suffered a couple of minor strokes and lost his vision by 1752, but he persevered through all his health problems. He died April 14, 1759, in London, England. Though he never married or fathered children he was a generous man, leaving his money to his servants and several charities. His body was buried in the poets' corner in Westminster Abbey.
The websites accessed on July 7, 2016, and used as references to write this biography were: biography.com, britannica.com, gfhandel.org, and classicfm.com.
Because the genre of Italian opera was fading in popularity, he ended up switching to composing oratorios, which are large-scale concert pieces often based on religious texts, though he also did some secular ones. Dublin's Lord Lieutenant commissioned him to compose music for Charles Jennens' libretto in 1741. As a result, his most famous oratorio Messiah premiered in Dublin in 1742. In London, Handel set the 1743 season full of oratorios. Through the following years he would write many oratorios including Semele (1744), Joseph and His Brethren (1744), Hercules (1745), Belshazzar (1745), Occasional Oratorio (1746), Judas Maccabeus (1747), Joshua (1748), Alexander Balus (1748), Susanna (1749), Solomon (1749), Theodora (1750), The Choice of Hercules (1751), Jeptha (1752) and The Triumph of Time and Truth (1757).
In addition to his operas and oratorios, Handel composed instrumental works, the best of which are his concerti grossi, anthems, and other orchestral works. The most popular of these works include Water Music (1717), Coronation Anthems (1727), Trio Sonatas op. 2 (1722–33), Trio Sonatas op. 5 (1739), Concerto Grosso op. 6 (1739) and Music for Royal Fireworks (1749).
He suffered a couple of minor strokes and lost his vision by 1752, but he persevered through all his health problems. He died April 14, 1759, in London, England. Though he never married or fathered children he was a generous man, leaving his money to his servants and several charities. His body was buried in the poets' corner in Westminster Abbey.
The websites accessed on July 7, 2016, and used as references to write this biography were: biography.com, britannica.com, gfhandel.org, and classicfm.com.
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Water Music, HWV 348-350 and Suite No. 5, HWV 430 (Complete)
Orchestre Paul Kuentz 00:00:23 - Water Music, Suite No. 1, HWV 348 00:29:36 - Water Music, Suite No. 2, HWV 349 00:40:38 - Water Music, Suite No. 3, HWV 350 00:50:42 - Suite No. 5, HWV 430 |
Concerto Grosso in G Major, Op. 6, No. 1
The Colburn Young Artists Academy Virtuosi Orchestra Recorded November 2, 2013 at The Colburn School |
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Aria Ah, Crudel il pianto mio (Armida) from "Rinaldo"
Sinfonietta Rīga chamber orchestra Conductor Normunds Šnē, conductor Inga Kalna, soprano |
See the Conquering Hero Comes! from Judas Maccabeus
"Voces para la Paz" (Músicos Solidarios) Antonio Fauró, director |