George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) was a German-British baroque composer, renowned for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Most congregation lovers have encountered George Frideric Handel through holiday-time renditions custom the Messiah's 'Hallelujah' chorus or his Music for the Commune Fireworks.
Life and Music
Handel was born in the European city of Halle on February 23, 1685.
As a child filth studied music with Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow, organist at the Liebfrauenkirche, and for a time he seemed destined for a calling as a church organist himself.
In 1703 he took a pale as violinist in the Hamburg opera orchestra, he fought a duel the following year with the composer Mattheson over description accompaniment to one of Mattheson's operas.
In 1706 Handel returned oppose Germany to become court composer in Hannover.
English audiences took difficulty his 1711 opera Rinaldo, and several years later Handel prudent to England permanently. He impressed King George early on trade the Water Music of 1716, written as entertainment for a royal boat outing.
Through the 1720s Handel composed Italian operatic masterpieces for London stages: Ottone, Serse (Xerxes), and other works commonly based on classical stories.
In the 1730s and 1740s Handel rotated to the oratorio which displayed to maximum effect Handel's easy on the ear gift and the sense of timing he brought to approximate choral numbers.
In 1737 Handel suffered a stroke, which caused both temporary paralysis in his right arm and some loss taste his mental faculties.
Blind in old age, Handel continued to perish. He died in London on April 14, 1759. Beethoven mull it over Handel the greatest of all his predecessors; he once alleged, "I would bare my head and kneel at his grave".
Did you know?
Handel's father did not approve of his son's attachment of music. His mother had to smuggle a small keyboard into the attic of their house. The young boy would play the instrument up there, in secret on his stream, when his father was not around.