Handel's final oratorio, Jephtha, was a heartbreaking experience for the composer. He was going rapidly blind as he wrote it, eventually leading him to write on the score: "Reached here on 13 February , unable to go on owing to weakening of the sight of my left eye.
When, after a life of tumult and incredible music, Handel succumbed to his afflictions in , his funeral was attended by 3, people and was a huge state affair. Praise doesn't come much higher than from Ludwig Van Beethoven, who said of Handel's works: "Go to him to learn how to achieve great effects, by such simple means. See more Handel News. See more Handel Music. See more Handel Pictures. Discover Music. See more Handel Album Reviews.
See more Handel Guides. Handel: 15 facts about the great composer George Frideric Handel, one of the Baroque era's greatest composers, led a passionate, eventful and occasionally tragic life - but how much do you really know? When and where was Handel born? Played the clavichord in secret Handel's lawyer father was not a huge fan of his son's musical ambitions.
Duel with Mattheson A bizarre incident in might have seen Handel's composing career cut tragically short after a set-to with fellow composer Johann Mattheson. Rinaldo - his first London success in the London stage was treated to its first ever opera composed specifically for it. For the first time Handel allowed Gioacchino Conti, who had no time to learn his part, to substitute arias. Financially, Ariodante was a failure, although he introduced ballet suites at the end of each act.
In April , at age 52, Handel apparently suffered a stroke which disabled the use of four fingers on his right hand, preventing him from performing. In summer the disorder seemed at times to affect his understanding.
Nobody expected that Handel would ever be able to perform again. But whether the affliction was rheumatism, a stroke or a nervous breakdown, he recovered remarkably quickly. To aid his recovery, Handel had travelled to Aachen, a spa in Germany. During six weeks he took long hot baths, and ended up playing the organ for a surprised audience. Deidamia , his last opera, was performed three times in Handel gave up the opera business, while he enjoyed more success with his English oratorios. The circumstances of Esther and its first performance, possibly in , are obscure.
Another 12 years had passed when an act of piracy caused him to take up Esther once again. Three earlier performances aroused such interest that they naturally prompted the idea of introducing it to a larger public. In these three oratorios Handel laid the foundation for the traditional use of the chorus which marks his later oratorios.
Handel became sure of himself, broader in his presentation, and more diverse in his composition. It is evident how much he learned from Arcangelo Corelli about writing for instruments, and from Alessandro Scarlatti about writing for the solo voice; but there is no single composer who taught him how to write for chorus.
Handel tended more and more to replace Italian soloists by English ones. The most significant reason for this change was the dwindling financial returns from his operas. Thus a tradition was created for oratorios which was to govern their future performance. The performances were given without costumes and action; the singers appeared in their own clothes.
The piece was a great success and it encouraged Handel to make the transition from writing Italian operas to English choral works. Israel in Egypt consists of little else but choruses, borrowing from the Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline. In his next works Handel changed his course. In these works he laid greater stress on the effects of orchestra and soloists; the chorus retired into the background.
During the summer of , The 3rd Duke of Devonshire invited Handel to Dublin, capital of the Kingdom of Ireland, to give concerts for the benefit of local hospitals. Handel secured a balance between soloists and chorus which he never surpassed.
In Handel wrote his oratorio Alexander Balus. He strikes the golden lyre , Handel wrote the acccompaniment for mandolin, harp, violin, viola, and violoncello. The use of English soloists reached its height at the first performance of Samson. The work is highly theatrical.
The role of the chorus became increasingly important in his later oratorios. Jephtha was first performed on 26 February ; even though it was his last oratorio, it was no less a masterpiece than his earlier works. Among the works with opus numbers published and popularised in his lifetime are the Organ Concertos Op.
Follow uDiscover Classical on Facebook and Twitter. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Search uDiscover Music. Format: UK English. Click to comment. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Continue Reading. You may like.
0コメント