George Frederick Handel :: essays research papers

George Frederick HandelGeorge Frederick Handel was born on February 24, 1685 in Halle, Germany.One of the greatest composers of the easy baroque period (1700-50) and, duringhis lifetime, perhaps the most internationally famous of all musicians. Handelwas born February 24, 1685, in Halle, Germany, to a family of no musicaldistinction. His own musical talent, however, verbalized itself so clearly thatbefore his tenth birthday he began to receive, from a local organist, the onlyformal musical instruction he would ever have. Although his prototypic job, beginningjust after his 17th birthday, was as church organist in Halle, Handels musicaltendencies lay elsewhere. Thus, in 1703 he traveled to Hamburg, the operaticcenter of Germany here, in 1704, he composed his own first opera, Almira, whichachieved great success the following year. Once again, however, Handel soon feltthe urge to move on, and his instincts led him to Italy, the birthplace ofoperatic style. He stopped first at Floren ce in the autumn of 1706. In the kick back and summer of 1707 and 1708 he traveled to Rome, enjoying the backing ofboth the nobility and the clergy, and in the late spring of 1707 he made anadditional short trip to Naples. In Italy, Handel composed operas, oratorios,and many small secular cantatas he ended his Italian visit with the stunningsuccess of his fifth opera, Agrippina (1709), in Venice. Handel left Italy for ajob as court composer and conductor in Hannover, Germany, where he arrived inthe spring of 1710. As had been the case in Halle, however, he did not hold thisjob for long. By the end of 1710 Handel had left for London, where with Rinaldo(1711), he once again scored an operatic triumph. later returning to Hannover he was granted permission for a second, shorttrip to London, from which, however, he never returned. Handel was forcedto face his truancy when in 1714 the elector at Hannover, his former employer,became King George I of England. The reconciliation of these two men may wellhave occurred, as has often been said, during a royal party on the River Thamesin 1715, during which the F major suite from Handels Water Music was probablyplayed. Under the sponsorship of the duke of Chandos, he composed his oratorioEsther and the 11 Chandos anthems for choir and string orchestra (1717-20). By1719 Handel had won the support of the king to start the Royal Academy of Musicfor performances of opera, which presented some of Handels greatest operasRadamisto (1720), Giulio Cesare (1724), Tamerlano (1724), and Rodelinda (1725).