George Frederic Handel

George Frederic Handel

(1685 - 1759)

George Frederic Handel lived in the Baroque Period (1600-1759). The word baroque comes from the Portuguese word barrocco, an uneven shaped pearl which was fashionable to wear as jewellery around this time. When composers of the Baroque period first started to write their music, people were suspicious of it as it sounded rough and wild to them, reminding them of the shape of the pearl.

As time went by they became more used to this adventurous new style and an Italian word which was similar - baroco - was used. The word suggested that the music was highly decorated, detailed and even perhaps rather fussy for some tastes. Certainly the music matched the fashions of the day; frills, feathers, objects studded in sparkling jewels, curly powdered wigs, richly carved furniture, colourful musical instruments and paintings on the ceilings of churches and palaces.But it was the French version of the word, baroque, which is the one widely used today to describe this style.

DID YOU KNOW THAT?........

*George Frederic Handel was born in the same year as two other famous composers of this time. One was Johann Sebastian Bach, who also came from Saxony and the other was Domenico Scarlatti, an Italian composer who wrote lots of music for the harpsichord. Although they knew about each other, none of them ever met!

*George's first teacher was Freidrich Zachau, the local church organist in Halle.

*When George was nineteen and a member of the Hamburg Opera House Orchestra, he narrowly escaped death in a dual with a rival musician. His opponent's sword got caught on a big brass button on his coat which saved his life.

*George became court musician to the Elector of Hanover. Eventually he handed in his notice which upset his boss. He went to Italy where he learned to write operas just like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart did many years later.

*The rest of his life was spent living in London and he became an Englishman. At first he was court musician to Queen Anne.

*The old queen died, and her cousin, who was none other than the Elector of Hanover, became king. This was a bit embarrassing for George, but the new monarch, now King George the First, forgave the composer for leaving the Hanover court and kept him in his service

Suggested Listening: Overture from 'Music for the Royal Fireworks'.

King George the Second was on the royal throne by the time George Frederic Handel composed this music. As court musician it was George's task to write music for special occasions. The firework display was rather like the one that now takes place on and beside the River Thames in London at New Year. Several thousands of fireworks exploded into the air from river barges as well as from the grounds of the Palace of Whitehall, home of the Duke of Richmond, as the music was performed by a band of musicians. However one of the fireworks landed on a pavillion and set fire to it which sent members of the crowd scurrying to safety. Unfortunately three of the spectators were killed. Although the royal celebration turned into a nightmare the composer's music has survived. It contains lots of bright dance-like pieces which were popular at the time; minuets, gavottes, bourrees, and even a sailor's hornpipe! The Overture forms the grand introduction with drums and a brass fanfare and it has alternating slow and fast sections.