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Composer of German birth but English by naturalization, one of the greatest composers of the late Baroque period and, during his lifetime, perhaps the most internationally famous of all musicians.
Handel was born February 23, 1685, in Halle, Germany, to a family of no musical distinction. His own musical talent, however, manifested itself so clearly that before his tenth birthday he began to receive, from a local organist, the only formal musical instruction he would ever have. Although his first job, beginning just after his 17th birthday, was as church organist in Halle (where he also studied law), Handel's musical predilections lay elsewhere. Thus, in 1703 he travelled to Hamburg, the operatic centre of Germany; here, in 1704, he composed his first opera, Almira, which achieved great success the following year. Once again, however, Handel soon felt the urge to move on, and, pursuing his desire to succeed as a composer of opera, he travelled to Italy. He stopped first at Florence, then, probably in late 1706, he travelled to Rome, enjoying the patronage of both the nobility and the clergy. In Italy, Handel composed operas, oratorios, and many small secular cantatas; he ended his Italian sojourn with the spectacular success of his fifth opera, Agrippina (1709), in Venice.
Handel left Italy for a job as court composer and conductor in Hanover, Germany, where he arrived in the spring of 1710. As had been the case in Halle, however, he did not hold this job for long. By the end of 1710 Handel had left for London, where, with Rinaldo (1711), he once again scored an operatic triumph. After returning to Hanover he was granted permission for a second, short trip to London, from which, however, he never returned. Handel was forced to face his truancy when in 1714 the Elector of Hanover, his former employer, became King George I of England. The two men were clearly reconciled however, since Handel's pension was doubled and he was appointed music master to the king's children. Under the patronage of the Duke of Chandos, he composed his oratorio Esther and the 11 Chandos anthems for choir, soloists, and orchestra (1717-1720). By 1719 Handel had won the support of the king to set up the Royal Academy of Music (of which he became president) for performances of opera (not to be confused with the present-day conservatoire of the same name); it made the first presentation of some of Handel's greatest operas: Radamisto (1720), Giulio Cesare (1724), Tamerlano (1724), and Rodelinda (1725). In 1727 Handel became a naturalized British subject, and in the same year wrote four anthems for George II's coronation, including Zadok the Priest. In 1728 the Academy collapsed, and he formed a new company the following year. Forced to move to another theatre (Covent Garden) by the Opera of the Nobility, a rival company, in 1734, he continued to produce opera until 1737, when both houses failed. Handel suffered a stroke and retired to Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) to recuperate.
In 1738 Handel, as determined as ever, began yet another operatic endeavour, which ended with his last opera, Deidamia, in 1741. During the 1730s, however, the most important new directions taken by Handel were, first, the composition of dramatic oratorios in English, notably Athalia (1733) and Saul (1739); and, second, the surge of instrumental music used in conjunction with the oratorios, including some of Handel's greatest concertos-the solo concertos of op. 4 (1736, five for organ and one for harp) and the 12 concerti grossi of op. 6 (1739). In 1742 the oratorio Messiah, the work for which he is best known, was first performed in Dublin. Handel continued composing oratorios at the rate of about two a year, including such masterworks as Samson (1743) and Solomon (1749), until 1751, when his eyesight began to fail. In 1749 he composed one of his most famous works, the Music for the Royal Fireworks, to celebrate the peace treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. Handel died in London on April 14, 1759; the last musical performance he heard, on April 6, was of the Messiah.
Throughout his life Handel avoided the rigorous contrapuntal techniques of his compatriot and exact contemporary Johann Sebastian Bach and achieved his effects through the simplest of means, trusting always his own innate musicianship. The music of both composers, however, sums up the age in which they lived. After them, opera took a different path; the favourite Baroque genres of trio sonata and concerto grosso were largely abandoned; and the development of the symphony orchestra and the pianoforte led into realms uncharted by the Baroque masters. Thus, their influence cannot be found in specific examples. Rather, Handel's legacy lies in the dramatic power and lyrical beauty inherent in all his music. His operas move from the rigid use of conventional schemes towards a more flexible and dramatic treatment of recitative, arioso, aria, and chorus. His ability to build large scenes around a single character was further developed in the dramatic scenas of composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the Italian Gioacchino Rossini. Handel's greatest gift to posterity was undoubtedly the creation of the dramatic oratorio genre, partly out of existing operatic traditions and partly by force of his own musical imagination; without question, the oratorios of both the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn and the German composer Felix Mendelssohn owe a large debt to those of Handel. He was one of the first composers to have a biography written of him (1760), to have centennial celebrations of his birth, and to have a collected edition of his music published (180 parts, 1787-1790). Although today, as in the 19th century, Handel is best known for only a few of his works, such as Water Music and Messiah, more and more attempts are being made to bring his other compositions, especially his operas, before the public. Handel's rich and unique musical genius deserves to be remembered in all its extraordinary fullness.
Excerpted from "Handel, George Frideric," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 99 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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