Happy New Year!
Played at firework celebrations, at Christmas performances or to accompany the coronation of kings – Handel’s music often pops up throughout the year and I have a feeling 2023 will be no exception. The Concerto Grossi, written in London in just one month, are a favourite to play in the background when working and we hope that you’ll enjoy listening to and learning more about, George Frideric Handel, our composer of the month for January.
Handel was born on February 23, 1685, in Germany and became one of the most famous composers of the Baroque Period. George’s father was a barber-surgeon. Yes! – in the Baroque Period barbers cut hair but also did a lot of other things – they were dentists and performed some medical procedures, including operations. George’s father wanted him to be a lawyer even though George wanted to study music. His mother encouraged him, and he was allowed to take keyboard and music composition lessons. His aunt gave him a harpsichord for his seventh birthday which Handel played whenever he had the chance
When he was 18, Handel started to study law as his father wanted. After a year, he realised that he was unhappy and decided to stop studying law and become a musician. He studied music and got jobs playing harpsichord, organ and violin. He also started composing, and two of his operas were performed in 1705.
Handel was becoming a good opera composer, but he wanted to learn more, so he went to Italy for four years. Italy was the centre of opera and Handel had some of his operas performed there. In Italy he met a very famous composer called Corelli. Handel realised that Corelli’s music was fashionable and so he copied his style and started to get noticed – but he still wasn’t making enough money to survive. Handel then spotted an opportunity in England.
There were very few composers in England and the public loved the ‘Italian’ style of music that he had learnt from Corelli. So he moved to London (he was working for the elector in Germany, who became the King of England) and became the centre of the musical scene there with his Corelli-inspired sound. Within a few years, he was churning out popular operas, writing for royalty and earning a lot of money. He had cleverly filled a musical gap and is now often thought of as one of the first great English composers despite being from Germany.
Handel spent 35 years in London, became a British citizen and wrote his most famous music here. He had some health problems, and he lost a lot of money when he produced some operas that were not successful. Even so, he was very popular and famous and wrote some music that is still used in ceremonies in England today. His most famous work is “The Messiah” which has the well-known “Hallelujah Chorus” (pronounce Halleluia). “Zadok the Priest” was written for the coronation of King George II in 1727 and the piece has been performed at the coronation service of every British monarch ever since. We can listen out for it in May in King Charles II’s coronation service.
In 1751, Handel started to lose his eyesight. Handel never married, and even though he was famous, he was a very private person. He died in London in 1759. Eight days earlier, he went to a concert of “The Messiah”. More than 3,000 mourners went to his funeral, and he is buried in Westminster Abbey, London which is where the Kings, Queens and other important people from England are buried.
Firework Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Zadok the Priest https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Short film about Handel https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Another short Film https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Firework music and Recording on baroque instruments Alison Balsom https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Concerto Grossi https://www.youtube.com/watch?
BBC 10 Pieces Zadok the Priest https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/
Silent monks sing Hallelujah chorus https://www.classicfm.com/
Preview YouTube video Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks; Minuet I, II, III
Preview YouTube video Zadok the Priest:The Coronation Anthem
Preview YouTube video George Frederic Handel | Short Biography | Introduction To The Composer
Preview YouTube video George Frideric Handel for Kids – Life and music – Listen and Learn
Preview YouTube video Royal Fireworks by Alison Balsom and The Balsom Ensemble
Preview YouTube video Händel – 12 Concerti Grossi, Op.6 | The Academy of Ancient Music
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