George Handel

573 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The influence of classical music on modern music

George Handel is among the greatest Baroque composers, and is recognized for his famous English oratories, which is essentially an opera lacking the scenery and costumes. Writing exquisite scores for instruments, combining the musical traditions of Italian, French, English and German to compose his own compositions, and a master of Italian-styles operas, Handel had a talent to unify a rich diversity of sounds that are still relished today (Handel Life and Music). He was born in Halle, Germany on February 23,1685 (George Handel). The elements of his life, the styles he used, and what he composed are all intriguing aspects of this famous composer and musician’s life.
Interestingly, this famous baroque music composer’s father objected to Handel’s desire to study music. His father didn’t believe that music was even a realistic source of income. However, his mother was more supportive, and urged him to expand and improve his musical talent. At seven, Handel had the prospect to play the organ for the duke’s court in Weissenfels (George Handel). There, he met a composer and organist who was greatly impressed with Handel’s potential and invited him to become his pupil. Moreover, At the age of ten, he mastered composing for the oboe, violin, and organ. Regardless of the devotion to his music, Handel had primarily agreed to study law at his father’s insistence. Yet, unsurprisingly, he didn’t linger in law courses for long after his father died in 1703. The passion he had for music would not be suppressed (George Friedrich Handel).
Extensive travels around Europe significantly improved his skills as a musician an composer, particularly the years he spent in Italy. He was exposed to the best of oratorio, chamber cantata, opera, and instrum...

... middle of paper ...

...is famous Messiah, and others which are still enjoyed today (Cudworth). His life, the styles he used, and what he composed are all parts of his fascinating history. Regardless that his desire to study music was discouraged, George Handel is today known throughout the world for his magnificent music compositions.

Works Cited
Cudworth, Charles. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/254169/George- Frideric-Handel. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
“George Friedrich Handel”. http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/public-domain/composers/ handel.html. Royalty Free Music, 2010. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
“George Friedrich Handel His Life and His Music” http://www.artsalive.ca/pdf/mus/ handel_all_e.pdf. National Arts Centre. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
"George Handel." http://www.biography.com/people/george-handel-9327378. The
Biography Channel, 2014. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Johann Sebastian Bach (1685- 1750)

    2289 Words  | 5 Pages

    Johann Sebastian Bach was a composer, a musician, teacher, and organist who later became a specialist in construction of organs. Bach learnt to play the violin, the orchestra, and the organ from his father and his famous uncle and twin brother to the father, Johann Christoph at a young age. The organ was his chosen instrument. He also achieved success in the art of Fugue, choral polyphone, instrumental music and dance forms. In Eisenach he attended Old Latin Grammar School, the same school that Martin Luther had attended. He sang in the schools choir. His parents died before Bach was 10 years old. His mother died when Bach was nine years old, his father’s death followed nine months later (Sherrane, 2011). After the parents death Bach was taken in by his older brother Johann Christoph who had already established himself as an organist in Ohrdruf. Johann Christoph had a great influence in Bach’s success in music as he taught him and encouraged him to study music composition. At the same time Bach was attending the Gymnasium grammar school in Ohrdruf where he studied theology, Latin...

    Read More

  • Leaders of the Baroque Age: Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Sebastian Bach, and George Frideric Handel

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...rease in popularity during the Baroque Age. The listeners enjoyed hearing the keyboard pieces that were often grouped into suites and played in the same key. Organ music was also very important during this era, mainly being played in church services. The major forms of keyboard music were preludes, chorals, variations, and fugues. Each of the three musicians used these forms of keyboard music in their pieces. Through these forms, Bach was able to take on every genre of music, creating his own which was the keyboard concerto. The works that Handel composed were often forgotten unless they were an oratorio. Telemann’s music was generally complex containing French, Italian, and Polish styles. Though the styles of music between these three men vary, they were able to leave a positive lasting impression causing people to reproduce and listen to their music regularly.

    Read More

  • Religion’s Profound Effect on Musical Development

    3673 Words  | 8 Pages

    Boynick, Matt. "Georg Friedric Handel." Classical Music Pages. 1 Feb. 1996. 13 July 2005 .

    Read More

  • George Frideric Handel: The Journey of a Baroque Composer

    1343 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are several famous Western Composers in History, but the one composer that I wanted to know more about is George Frideric Handel. He was born on February 23, 1682 and he was a German- born British Baroque composer. He studied at the University of Halle before moving to Hamburg in 1703, where he served as a violinist in the opera orchestra. He was born the same year as Johann Sebastian Bach. He spent most of his life in London and he was well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos. Handel was a son of a barber- surgeon and Handel’s dad wanted him to become a lawyer, but he was into music. Handel’s father didn’t want to by Handel an instrument because he didn’t want him to be a composer. His mom and his aunt was the only one that supported him. Handel started playing the violin,

    Read More

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    1458 Words  | 3 Pages

    Johann Sebastian Bach was born into a family of musicians. It was only natural for him to pick up an instrument and excel in it. His father taught him how to play the violin and harpsichord at a very young age. All of Bach’s uncles were professional musicians, one of them; Johann Christoph Bach introduced him to the organ. Bach hit a turning point in his life when both of his parents died at the age of ten years old. Bach’s older brother Johann Christoph Bach took him in and immediately expanded his knowledge in the world of music. He taught him how to play the clavichord and exposed him to great composers at the time. At the age of fourteen, Bach and his good friend George Erdmann were awarded a choral scholarship to the prestigious musical school St. Michael’s in Luneburg. From then on, Bach began to build his career in the music industry. His first two years at the school he sang in the school’s a cappella choir. Historical evidence has shown that Bach at a young age would visit Johanniskirche and would listen to the works of organ player Jasper Johannsen. This was thought to have been the inspiration to Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Studying at the prestigious musical school has help Bach network his way around and become acquaintances’ with some of the best organ players at the time such as Georg Böhm, and Johann Adam Reincken. Through his acquaintance with Böhm and Reincken Bach had access to some of the greatest and finest instruments.

    Read More

  • George Frideric Handel's Passion For Music

    716 Words  | 2 Pages

    George Frideric Handel was born February 23, 1685 in Halle, Germany, being born the same year as Johann Sebastian Bach. His father was 73 years old at the time of his birth. George, at a young age, had a passion for music, but his father wanted him to pursue a career in civil law. George’s father believed that music would not provide a real source of income and he would not even allow his son to own an instrument. Although his father objected, George’s mother, Dorothy, supported his love for music and encouraged him to practice. With the help of his mother, he would practice secretly to develop his skill and talent. When George was seven, he had the opportunity to play the organ for a duke’s court and there was where he met Freidrich Zachow,

    Read More

  • Musicians and Composers of the Renaissance

    1760 Words  | 4 Pages

    John Warrack, author of 6 Great Composers, stated, “Any study of a composer, however brief, must have as its only purpose encouragement of the reader to greater enjoyment of the music” (Warrack, p.2). The composers and musicians of the Renaissance period need to be discussed and studied so that listeners, performers, and readers can appreciate and understand the beginnings of music theory and form. The reader can also understand the driving force of the composer, whether sacred or secular, popularity or religious growth. To begin understanding music composition one must begin at the birth, or rebirth of music and the composers who created the great change.

    Read More

  • Jean-Baptiste Lully

    1771 Words  | 4 Pages

    Buelow, George J., “Music and Society in the Late Baroque Era.” Music and Society in the Late Baroque Era. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1994. p. 1-38

    Read More

  • Esther, by George Frideric Handel

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    The music of George Frideric Handel has been celebrated throughout time, especially his oratorio work. Handel’s oratorios are considered to be some of the best in existence. However, much discussion and reverence is given to his Messiah, while the others are not as commonly subject to this praise. Therefore, I will investigate the origin and creation of the oratorio, Esther by Handel, with focus on his music for the scene. I will argue that Handel expresses the drama and emotion of this biblical story through the musical elements he employs, particularily

    Read More

  • The Life and Musical Influence of George Frideric Handel

    1849 Words  | 4 Pages

    George Frideric Handel was born musically inclined. As a child he was deprived of musical instruments because his father wanted him to pursue the law profession. However, George was allowed to take music lessons from a local organist, by the name of Friedrich Wilhelm Zachau, after Handel had impressed the Duke when he played the organ at the chapel. In his following years, Handel would travel to many places, accepting many different musical occupations. As Handel traveled, he was introduced to many of his musical influences. He wrote operas, oratorios, anthems, secular cantatas, and also wrote scarred music. Throughout his life, Handel would become famous for his compositions, particularly for his English Oratorios, however the most popular ones today include: “Messiah”, “The Water Music”, and “Royal Fireworks.”

    Read More

  • George Frederick Handel

    631 Words  | 2 Pages

    German-English composer, George Frederick Handel, is one of the greatest composers of the Baroque period if not of all time. His work, Messiah, is one of the most famous and beloved works of music in the world. During his career in music, Handel composed Italian cantatas, oratorios (like Messiah), Latin Church Music, and several operas. Handel moved around from country to country writing, composing, and producing music for royalty such as Queen Anne and George of Hanover. In his life, Handel mastered several instruments including the violin and the harpsichord.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony

    1038 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1829, he left his hometown and started his music tour to Italy, France and England. During this period of time, he published many significant compositions, which included the overture Die Hebriden (1829), the Reformation Symphony (1830) and the Italian Symphony (1832) etc.

    Read More

  • George Frideric Handel Research Paper

    225 Words  | 1 Pages

    From an early age Handel was drawn to music like a moth to a flame, but his father Georg objected due to him fearing music wouldn’t be a good source of income , he's father didn't even allow him to own an instrument. His mother Dorothea on the other hand was very supportive and encouraged him to follow his passion. In Handels youth he was granted the opportunity to play the organ for the duke’s court in Weissenfels where he met a composer and organist named Frideric Zachow. Zachow was very impressed with Handel and wished for him to become a student and he accepted, under the guidance of Zachow, Handel was able to

    Read More

  • How Does Handel Influence His Work?

    573 Words  | 2 Pages

    George Friedrich Handel, a Baroque composer, accomplished a great many things in his life time, including the writing of world famous pieces such as Messiah and his famous opera Giulio Cesare in Egitto. Handel was born on February 23, 1685 in the town of Halle, Germany. His birth came during a time of peace in Europe, and also when the Puritans were establishing new colonies in recently found America. In his early years, Handel wanted to study music, but his father protested. His father even restricted him from owning his own instrument. More open to music, his mother let him practice music without his father knowing. Later in his young years, Handel was given the opportunity to play the organ in the Duke’s presence. At this time Handel was introduced to the organist Frideric Wilhelm Zachow, who was impressed with Handel’s skill. During his teen years, Handel composed many Cantatas featuring the organ, with Zachow’s help.

    Read More

  • George Frideric Handel was the Greatest Composer

    760 Words  | 2 Pages

    George was a very talented composer but, unlike many others he didn’t come from a family with a long line of musicians. At very early age Handel had his mind set on studying music even though his father disapproved. Because his father wanted him to become a lawyer he didn’t allow Handel to play musical instruments. Despite his father’s wishes, historians believed he studied music by candlelight. To make his father proud he studied law for a short time but knew this was not what he wanted to do. George followed his dreamed and went on to join an orchestra in Germany that would change his life forever.

    Read More

More about George Handel

Open Document