Dates: 1685-1759
Nationality: German , born in Halle
Best known for his oratorios.
Handel's father, George, was a respectable barber-surgeon who was not interested in Handel pursuing music.
Handel later spent one year at the University of Halle stufying law.
At the age of 12, Handel became the assistant organist at the cathedral of Halle.
Handel spent three years in Italy and it was here that he absorbed many Italian traditions that would influence his operatic style. He also met the famous harpsichordist,Domenico Scarlatti. In 1710, Handel was appointed conductor for the Elector of Hanover.
The Academy was launched to promote Italian opera, a genre which Handel enjoyed composing and to which he contributed over 40 operas.
The Academy lasted eight years before going bankrup due to mismanagement, fighting and extravagance, plus the English public did not enjoy operas in the Italian style.
Like Bach, he went blind near the end of his life and dictated his music.Handel also continued to appear in public, conducting and playing the organ.
He collapsed just after his 74th birthday. Handel was given the honour of being buried in Wetminster Abbey in London, with a funeral attended by thousands.
Unlike opera, oratorios are performed in concert without costumes, scenery, or staging and are consequently less expensive to produce.
recitatives do not repeat text but move the story forward.Arias are emotional high points with orchestral accompaniment.
Handel's most important contribution to music history undoubtedly lies in his oratorios. He was considered one of the greatest organists of his time, along with J.S. Bach.
The Messiah, 1742
genre: Oratorio
Librettist: Charles Jennens
Origins of text Mainly Biblical
Messiah was so popular at its premiere that the ladies were asked to wear skirts without hoops and the gentlement to leave their sword behind to ensure the maximum number of people could attend each performance.
Messiah premiered in the city of Dublin, Ireland, having been written to raise funds for charity.
Handel continued to direct Messiah to raise money for some years to come.
He apparently wrote this masterpiece in only 24 days, using chorus, soloists, and simple orchestration.
the work is written in English prose, (non-rhyming) unusual for a Handel oratorio.
Unlike Bach, Handel was not born into a musical family, but his talents were quickly realized by his father.
Bach had no interest in opera but wrote instead many religious works such as Cantatas, Passions, and Masses.
Both men would be afflicted with cataracts in their old age and undergo surgery at the hand of the same oculist, John Taylor.
Oratorio is a large-scale work for soloists, chorus, and orchestra
serious subject, generally based on biblical texts
developed in the baroque era.
French overture is a baroque orchestral genre, generally in two parts
recitative is a speech-like style of singing used in operas, oratorios, cantatasusually used to advance the plot or storyline, moves through text quickly.
recitativo secco is italian for dry recitative
supported only by continuo
recitativo accompagnato is italian for accompanied recitative.
supported by instrumental ensemble or orchestra
da capo aria is the big deal.
the most common song type in Baroque opera and oratorio
melisma is a group of notes sung on a single syllable/vowel
libretto is the text of an opera, oratorio, or cantata
homorhythmic texture is all voices sing the same rhythm
results in a blocked chordal texture
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