![]() ![]() Handel enjoyed success and had a stint as Kappelmeister to German prince George, who would go on to become King George I in England. Agrippina, written in 1709, was a huge hit, running for almost a month straight and the audience was “thunderstruck with the grandeur and sublimity of his style”. He began traveling through Italy and writing Italian opera. Here he played as the harpsichordist and violinist in the orchestra and began writing his first operas, Almira and Nero, in 1705. Handel later traveled to Hamburg in search of bigger and better things – Telemann had sparked in him an interest in secular music, and Hamburg provided more opportunity for a fledgling musician. Telemann reminisced later how him and Handel spent many hours analyzing the music of Johann Kuhnau, and how the two men spent lots of time together and wrote letters. Telemann was just four years older (why were all these masters born right around the same time?) and was also studying law. He was also the organist at a Cathedral in Halle, which was no small feat for a young man given that this was a prestigious position.Īround this time Handel met yet another Baroque legend, Telemann. In 1702, perhaps as a nod to his father who wanted him to become a lawyer, Handel enrolled in the University of Halle. Handel Senior died when Handel Junior was twelve years old, In 1697. Zachow also liked to drink and party, so Handel took on a lot of the organist duties at church, which including writing new music for weekly services. Kind of like how kids do math workbooks, Handel copied out music. One common teaching practice of that time was to write out music by hand by other composers, in order to study their skills. Handel wrote quite a few pieces for the oboe in his lifetime since he was so fond of it. In addition to learning the organ, Handel studied harpsichord, violin, and especially the oboe. Zachow taught Handel organ in the old school style full of fugues and counterpoint, as well as integrating styles from Italy and other countries. That led Handel to his first and only teacher, Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow. The Duke suggested to Handel’s father that he get a music education, and that wasn’t something Handel’s father could refuse. When at the palace chapel of the Holy Trinity, Handel wandered over to the court organ and impressed everyone with his playing, including Duke Johann Adolf I. When Handel was quite young, we went on a trip with his father to Weissenfels. ![]() To this room he constantly stole when the family was asleep”. Handel Junior was born to Handel Senior’s second wife, along with two girls.įrom a young age Handel showed much interest in music, but lore has it that his father didn’t approve, taking pains to prevent him from having a musical education.Īccording to Handel biographer Mainwaring, Handel “found means to get a little clavichord privately convey’d to a room at the top of the house. But he was a self-made man and pushed all of his five children (except his youngest daughter) into the medical profession. They were not an aristocratic family, and Handel’s father was a barber-surgeon so they weren’t musical either. George Frideric Handel was born to a 63-year old father named Georg Handel in Halle, and a mother named Dorothea Taust who was the daughter of a minister. Unlike some other composers, Handel lived a relatively long life (he died at 74, in 1759) and died wealthy and respectable. He wrote over 40 operas in 30 years, which is mind-blowingly productive – that would be like writing, producing and recording one or two movies a year…but with all the music writing thrown in there. Handel was multi-talented and wrote in many genres, being particularly well-known for his operas and oratorios. As we already mentioned, that was the same year Bach was born in, as well as another Baroque master named Scarlatti. Handel was born in 1685 in Halle, Germany, though he spent most of his life in London, England. Upcoming videos will discuss his music, so today we’re going to focus on the man behind the music. In today’s video, we’re going to talk about the life of Handel. But in the early 1700s, Handel was just as famous – perhaps even more so. Where most people know the name Bach, some people know Handel. Handel is a relatively well-known composer nowadays, but he still lives (is dead in?) Bach’s shadow. But now it’s time to get into the history of Handel. We’ve already done a brief history video on Bach, so definitely check that out – he’s one of my favorite composers. Bach and Handel are often tied together in a discussion of Baroque music – they were both masters of music, both German-born, both wildly popular – and they were even born the same year, in 1685. ![]()
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