Download George Frideric Handel 1685-1759

George Frideric Handel
1685-1759
For High School Music History
Tiffany James
Born in Germany on
February 23, 1685
 Non-musical family
 Father did not
believe that music was
a suitable career for
his son
 Allowed him to study
music because of
natural talents

Took lessons with
Fredrich Wilhelm
Zachow
 Studied the organ,
harpsichord, violin
and oboe
 Learned
counterpoint and
contemporary
composition

Enrolled in the
University of Halle in
1702, at the age of
17
 Cathedral organist
at the Calvinist
Cathedral
 Lost interest and
wanted to pursue
opera composition

Moved to Hamburg,
the center of German
opera
 Played violin in the
Hamburg opera
house
 Absorbed Italian
operatic style from
playing in the
orchestra

“Almira”, his first
opera was premiered
at the Hamburg
opera house in 1705
 Completed his
second opera,
“Nero” within the
same year
 Left Hamburg in
1706
 Moved to Italy,
staying in the main
opera cities

Met many important
composers,
Alessandro and
Domenico Scarlatti,
Corelli, Caldara and
Steffani
 Composed Latin
motets, an oratorio,
Italian cantatas and
operas in Italy
 His compositional
style was almost fully
developed by the time
he left Italy

Returned to Germany at the age of 25 to become
music director at the electoral court of Hanover
 Took an almost immediate leave to visit London
 Gained success in London with his opera
“Rinaldo”
 Four more of his operas premiered in London
between 1712 and 1716

Royal Academy of Music
In 1718 a group of wealthy men organized a company
to present operas to the London public
 Handel, Giovanni Bononcini and Filippo Amadei
were the appointed composers
 The company was very popular between 1720 and
1728
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Handel was very active in writing, producing and
directing his operas for the Royal Academy of Music
His operas included: “Radamisto”, “Ottone”, “Giulio
Cesare”, “Rodelinda” and “Admeto”
The public grew tired of Italian opera and the
Academy began to have financial difficulties
Oratorios (opera-like
compositions set on a
religious subject) were
becoming increasingly
popular in London
 So….Handel began
composing oratorios after
the failure of the Royal
Academy of Music
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Handel became a master of oratorios very quickly
He composed an oratorio, “Saul”, which was
performed 6 times in 1739
His greatest achievements in this genre include
“Israel in Egypt”, “Messiah”, “Judas” “Maccabaeus”
and “Jeptha”

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In Dublin, the year 1742, Handel and John Rich
leased a theater to present oratorios every year during
lent
Handel’s oratorios were immensely popular during this
time due to the innovations he made on the form
He composed 26 oratorios throughout his career
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He lost eyesight due to
cataracts
Dictated his last works,
conducted oratorios and
perfomed on the organ
1759-Collapsed in the
theater while conducting
the Messiah and died
some days later
International
compositions,
incorporating German,
French and Italian styles
 Most important
composer of Baroque
operas and oratorios
 Internationally renown
during his lifetime
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