George Frideric Handel - Baroque Composer

Early Life and Education

George Frideric Handel was born in Halle, Saxony (now Germany), the son of a 63-year-old barber-surgeon. His father wanted him to study Law, but Handel longed to explore music—so much so that he even hid a small clavichord in the attic. During a visit to the court of Saxony-Weissenfels, the duke casually heard Handel play the organ and managed to convince the reluctant father of the boy's musical talent. Handel then studied law and music, mastering the organ, violin, and harpsichord, composing in different musical forms, and spending hours copying notes from the teacher's manuscript collection, organist and composer Friedrich Zachow (Burrows, 2011).

Early Career and Italian Influence

Handel entered the University of Halle in 1702 and, by the end of a month, was hired as a trainee organist at the Calvinist Cathedral in Halle. For a year, he enjoyed free accommodation and later moved to Hamburg, the only German city outside the courts with an opera house. He was employed as a violinist at the opera, then as a performer, and by the end of three years, two of his operas were staged. In 1706, he met the heir of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, who invited him to Florence—marking the beginning of three years of formation and creation in Italy. There, he met many composers, including Corelli, the Scarlattis, and Vivaldi, whose influences can be seen in his music. Inspired by these encounters, Handel wrote operas, notably "Agrippina," which was performed 27 times, as well as oratorios and over 150 cantatas. He achieved some fame, particularly in Venice, before leaving for Innsbruck to meet the governor of Tyrol. From there, he traveled to Hanover to occupy the position of master of the elector's chapel, the man destined to ascend to the throne of England (Hogwood, 2007).

Success in London

In 1710, Handel visited London to produce his opera "Rinaldo," and the success he achieved led him to settle there permanently. Queen Anne granted him a pension of £200 a year, but his position became precarious after her death, when the Elector of Hanover, from whom Handel had withdrawn, ascended the throne of England. The story goes that there was a reconciliation when King George I took a boat trip on the Thames, accompanied by a second barge with 50 musicians under Handel's direction, performing the now-famous "Water Music." The king was so captivated that he requested three replays of the hour-long concert, pardoning the composer and increasing his pension to 600 pounds. Composed of suites divided into 20 small movements, the score of "Water Music" was written for trumpets, horns, oboes, bassoons, recorders, transverse flutes, and strings. This piece notably displays Handel's talent for orchestration, with the trumpets and horns being especially effective in an open-air setting, such as this river walk (Dean, 1980).

Later Career and Legacy

Between 1718 and 1729, Handel served as the musical director of the Duke of Chandos, during which he wrote the "Chandos Anthems" and the dramatic oratorio "Acis and Galatea." He was typically able to find patrons easily; in the winter of 1718-19, the nobility combined their resources to create and found the Royal Academy of Music to promote Italian opera in London, with Handel as musical director. For eight years, one of the centers of operatic activity in Europe was in London, and Handel achieved many triumphs, including "Giulio Cesare" in 1724. He was named composer of the Chapel, moved to a house in Grosvenor Square, and applied for English naturalization. Handel's influence on the world of music is profound, and his works continue to be celebrated for their beauty, complexity, and emotional depth (Hicks, 1998).

References

• Burrows, D. (2011). Handel. Oxford University Press.
• Dean, W. (1980). Handel's Operas, 1704-1726. Boydell Press.
• Hicks, A. (1998). Handel's Reputation: Then and Now. In D. Burrows (Ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Handel (pp. 251-267). Cambridge University Press.
• Hogwood, C. (2007). Handel. Thames & Hudson.