George Frideric Handel
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George Frideric Handel, a monumental German composer of the Classical era
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was a famous German composer who spent much of his life in England. He wrote operas and oratorios (including the oratorio, the Messiah). He also wrote the well-known Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks.
Handel wrote his musical works very quickly. For example, he wrote the Messiah in just 21 days. As a result, he left a huge body of work for us to enjoy.
Handel's music often shows deep psychological subtlety and the expression of the widest range of human feeling.Hallelujah Chorus (from Handel's Messiah)
Handel: Messiah (Cambridge Music Handbooks)
Handel: Messiah (Cambridge Music Handbooks)
Amazon Price: $24.00 (as of 05/31/2012)
A clear, compact guide to the choral masterpiece
These Cambridge Music Handbooks are geared for specific background and analysis on specific musical works. I own another Cambridge book about
Haydn's Creation, which is also very good.
Burrows begins with historical background of the Messiah, recounts the initial performances in Dublin, and then covers the revisions and revivals in London. Other chapters cover later versions of Messiah (e.g. Mozart's orchestration), a short analysis of the overall design of the work, short comments on individual movements of interest, and Handel's word-setting. There are also two appendices and a wonderful bibliography.
Although brief and concise, the work is quite scholarly, containing many citations. It is clear that Burrows knows his stuff regarding Handel and Messiah.
My only disappointment with the book (and subsequent reason for four stars) is that many of Burrows' good points are buried within his scholarly prose and these gems are easy to overlook. Despite this, I would recommend this book to anybody involved in a performance of Handel's Messiah, and it is a must for any conductor. It provides a great deal of necessary background information in a concise manner, and is a great resource for program notes.
The Jupiter of Music
"Handel was the Jupiter of music;... his hallelujahs open the heavens. He utters the word 'Wonderful', as if all their trumpets spoke together. And then, when he comes to earth, to make love admidst nymphs and shepherds (for the beauties of all religions find room within his breast), his strains drip milk and honey, and his love is the youthfulness of the Golden Age."
-- Leigh Hunt, 1851
Handel (by Christopher Hogwood)
Handel, Revised Edition
Amazon Price: $13.80 (as of 06/01/2012)
George Friedrich Handel remains one of the unchallenged geniuses of musical history. Yet many revealing and fascinating aspects of his work have been obscured by generations of adulation, prejudice, or misinterpretation. Christopher Hogwood takes us back to the original Handel, blending the evidence from documents of all kinds with judicious biographical observations as well as a delightful selection of illustrations.
The result is a comprehensive and entertaining portrait of the developing character and career of Handel, with an important concluding chapter that traces the progress of the Handel legend down to our own time, and a chronological table compiled by Anthony Hicks that outlines major events in the composer's life and musical career. 100 illustrations, 10 in color.
Handel in 1733 (painting: Balthasar Denner)
Handel Music on CD
Handel: Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks (Cambridge Music Handbooks)
Handel: Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks (Cambridge Music Handbooks)
Amazon Price: $67.78 (as of 06/01/2012)
'Hogwood is a reliable and well-informed guide to this repertory. ...It is a fascinating document.' - Early Music
Program Notes on Famous Handel Works
- Israel in Egypt (Handel)
- "Israel in Egypt," the fifth of the nineteen oratorios which Handel composed in England, was written in 1738, the composition of the whole colossal work occupying but twenty-seven days...
CLICK ON ABOVE LINK TO READ FULL NOTES ON THIS WORK - Saul (Handel)
- The oratorio of "Saul" was written by Handel in 1738. The story closely follows the Biblical narrative of the relations between David and Saul. The overture is the longest of all the Handel introductions...
CLICK ON ABOVE LINK TO READ FULL NOTES ON THIS WORK - Samson (Handel)
- The oratorio of "Samson" was written in 1741. The last chorus was dated October 29; but in the following year Handel added to it "Let the bright Seraphim" and the chorus, "Let their celestial Concerts." The oratorio was first sung at Covent Garden, February 18, 1743...
CLICK ON ABOVE LINK TO READ FULL NOTES ON THIS WORK - The Messiah (Handel)
- "The Messiah" represents the ripened product of Handel's genius, and reflects the noblest aspirations and most exalted devotion of mankind. Among all his oratorios it retains its original freshness, vigor, and beauty in the highest degree, in that it appeals to the loftiest sentiment and to universal religious devotion, and is based upon the most harmonious, symmetrical, and enduring forms of the art...
CLICK ON ABOVE LINK TO READ FULL NOTES ON THIS WORK
Music for the Royal Fireworks (by Handel) (Part 1)
Musical Effect
"Handel understands effect better than any of us -- when he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt."
-- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Handel on the Web
- Classical Music Archives: Handel
- Over 600 Handel works offered in the MIDI, MP3, and Windows Media audio formats (including the complete Messiah).
- The Handel House Museum
- The London house where Handel lived for 36 years has been now restored and turned into an interesting museum. This site gives details.
- George Frideric Handel
- Life and works of Handel (article by Francis Hueffer, Ph.D., formerly musical critic of The Times; author of The Troubadours: a History of Provençal Life and Literature in the Middle Ages and Richard Wagner and the Music of the Future; editor of Great Musicians).
Handel's Handwriting (Manuscript of his Tolomeo)
Latest News on George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel on 1959 German Postage Stamp
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Comfortdoc
Jan 3, 2012 @ 2:00 am | delete
- Thank you for adding the Handel's Hallelujah Chorus Flash Mob to your wonderful lens on Handel.
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fugeecat
Nov 5, 2011 @ 4:44 pm | delete
- His music is wonderful!
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ZestCareerCoaching
Aug 12, 2011 @ 12:06 pm | delete
- Handel's Dixit Dominus is my fav piece of music ever, and I love a lot of the rest of his work as well. Lots of wonderful resources here, thanks.
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Brick_House_Fabrics
Jan 1, 2011 @ 2:12 pm | delete
- I love the watermusic!
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classicalgeek
Dec 3, 2010 @ 10:18 pm | delete
- I'm an early music geek, and I love all Baroque music, but I especially love to sing Handel. One doesn't need actual fireworks -- the vocal fireworks are everywhere!
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