Bachtrack logo
What's on
Reviews
Articles
News
Video
Site
Young artists
Travel

Composer: Handel, George Frideric (1685-1759)

Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance listings | Handel
Biography
Portrait of Handel by George Knapton © by kind permission of the Royal Academy of Music
© by kind permission of the Royal Academy of Music

Handel was born in 1685 in the Saxon town of Halle, but he became an English citizen and died in London in 1759. He enjoyed success in several different countries and his musical style ranged accordingly, from Italian opera to the German suite and the English anthem, from the concerto grosso to the royal birthday ode.

A deep interest in opera drew Handel first to Hamburg and then in 1706 to Italy, in order to study the genre at source and thus be able to develop his creative talent. In Venice his Agrippina (1709) was enthusiastically acclaimed, receiving 27 performances before he returned to Germany to become Kapellmeister to the Elector of Hanover. But opera remained his first love, and it was the chance to renew his involvement with the theatre which soon drew him to London, where his opera Rinaldo was produced in 1711.

From the time Handel settled in England in 1712, his achievement was such that he attained a position of some eminence in the cultural life of the nation. The accession in 1714 of his former employer, the Elector Georg Ludwig of Hanover, to the English throne as George I might have been an embarrassment, had not the King recognised both Handel's genius and the fact that a fellow German-speaker would be useful to him in London society.

As early as 1713, for instance, Handel provided a Birthday Ode for Queen Anne and a Te Deum and Jubilate to celebrate the peace of Utrecht, while ten years later he wrote his impressive set of four Coronation Anthems for the new King George II. One of these, Zadok the Priest, has been performed at every subsequent coronation. Handel's role as 'composer laureate', moreover, continued for the rest of his life.

In 1717 Handel entered the service of James Brydges, soon to be created Duke of Chandos, at his lavish home Cannons at Edgware. There he wrote anthems and dramatic music, such as the oratorio Esther and the pastoral opera Acis and Galatea, both to English words. He also turned to instrumental sonatas and suites, writing trio sonatas and keyboard music of enduring value.

In 1719 a Royal Academy of Music was created by wealthy enthusiasts in order to promote Italian opera. Handel was appointed its musical director and was involved in every aspect of the operation, even traveling to Europe to recruit singers. The next few years were prolific indeed, with operatic masterpieces such as Radamisto, Ottone, Giulio Cesare, Rodelinda, Tamerlano and Admeto. Thanks to Handel London had become the operatic capital of Europe.

In nearly forty operas Handel allowed the structure and virtuosity of opera seria to be moulded into a musical language of truly human dimensions. However, as time passed public support proved fickle and in 1729 the Academy venture collapsed, to be replaced by a new company at Covent Garden, replete with with singers recruited from Italy. There is no question that Handel was the greatest musical cosmopolitan of the day: a German composer, living in London, and writing Italian operas. In these operas there are relatively few ensembles and choruses. Dialogue takes place in lightly accompanied recitatives, but the arias are supremely rich and varied, strongly characterised while offering abundant opportunities for vocal virtuosity. The star singers were highly paid entertainers with international reputations, including castrati such as Caffarelli (real name Gaetano Majorano).

When during the 1730s this type of opera became unfashionable, Handel renewed his career by successfully creating a new genre for performance in the theatre, the oratorio in English on Biblical texts. These oratorios became hugely popular and they also contain some wonderful music. The majority are based on tales from the Old Testament: Samson, Belshazar, Joshua, Solomon and Saul, for example. The most successful has of course been Messiah (1742), which has become a veritable institution in our national life, performed year on year, and much more frequently than the remainder put together. At these oratorio performances, Handel included interval performances of concertos, sometimes featuring himself as organ soloist. His greatest achievement in the field was his set of twelve concerti grossi, Opus 6 (1739), which he composed at the suggestion of his publisher John Walsh. These are among the great instrumental works of the baroque era and, typically, they frequently employ music borrowed from earlier compositions as well as new material.

During the 1750s Handel’s health and eyesight deteriorated, until he went blind. He died on 14th April 1759 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Among contemporary composers his mastery was equalled only by Bach; but in opera he was without peer, the outstanding opera composer during the entire period between Monteverdi and Mozart.

© Terry Barfoot/BBC

Schneider portrait of Handel reproduced by permission of Händel-Haus, Halle. Engraving reproduced by permission of the BBC

Fact file
Year of birth1685
Year of death1759
NationalityGermany
PeriodBaroque
List of works
Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, HWV 72Acis and GalateaAcis and Galatea, HWV 49: Cease to beauty to be suingAgrippina: SinfoniaAlcinaAlcina, HWV 34: Ballet musicAlexander Balus, HWV 65: Calm though my soulAlexander's FeastAlexander's Feast, HWV 75: OvertureAlexander's Feast, HWV 75: Revenge, Timotheus criesAmadigi, HWV 11: Pena tirannaAminta e Fillide, HWV 83Arias from Oratorios and OperasAriodanteAriodante, HWV33: Dopo notteAriodante, HWV33: Scherza infidaArmida abbandonata, HWV 105AthaliaBelshazzarBrockes Passion, HWV 48Concerti grossi, Op.3Concerto Grosso in B flat major, Op.3 No.1, HWV 312Concerto Grosso in B flat major, Op.6 No.7, HWV 325Concerto Grosso in B minor, Op.6 No.12, HWV 330Concerto Grosso in C major for "Alexander's Feast", HWV 318Concerto Grosso in F major, Op.3 No.4, HWV 315Concerto Grosso in F major, Op.6 No.2, HWV 320Concerto Grosso in F major, Op.6 No.9, HWV 327Concerto Grosso in G major, Op.3 No.3, HWV 314Concerto for oboe d'amore, strings and continuo, "Verdi prati", after HWV 32, 296a and 34Coronation Anthem no. 1: Zadok the priest, HWV 258Coronation Anthem no. 2: The King shall rejoice, HWV 260DeidamiaDixit Dominus in G minor, HWV 232Dolc' è pur d'amor l'affanno, HWV 109a, HWV 109bEsther, HWV 50: Tune your harps to cheerful strainsFlavio, HWV 16: Rompo i lacci, e frango i dardiFlavio, re de' LangobardiFlute Sonata in E minor, Op.1 no.1, HWV 359bGiulio Cesare in Egitto, (Julius Caesar in Egypt) HWV 17Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17: AriasGiulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17: OvertureGiulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17: Presti omai l'Egizia terraGiustinoHarp Concerto in B flat major, HWV 294HerculesIl Delirio Amoroso, (Da quel giorno fatale) HWV 99Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, HWV 46aIl trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, HWV 46a: Lascia la spinaIsrael in EgyptIsrael in Egypt: excerptsJephtha HWV 70: "Up the dreadful steep ascending”Jephtha, HWV 70: Dull delay, in piercing anguishJephtha, HWV 70: excerptsJudas MaccabaeusLa Lucrezia, HWV 145Laudate pueri dominum in D major, HWV 237Menuet in G minor, HWV 434.4MessiahMessiah HWV56: Rejoice Greatly O Daughter of ZionMessiah, HWV 56: But Who May Abide the Day of His ComingMessiah, HWV 56: He shall feed his flock like a shepherdMessiah, HWV 56: The Trumpet Shall SoundMessiah, HWV 56: excerptsMessiah, HWV56: Why do the nations so furiously rage?Mi palpita il cor, HWV 132a,b,dNo, di voi non vo' fidarmi, HWV 189, HWV 190O sing unto the Lord a new song; Chandos Anthem No. 4, HWV 249bOboe Concerto no. 3 in G minor, HWV 287Ode for St Cecilia's Day, HWV 76Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne, HWV 74: Eternal Source of Light DivineOratorio per la Risurrezione di Nostro S. Giesu Cristo, HWV 47Organ Concerto in D minor, Op.7 no.4, HWV 309Organ Concerto in F major, Op.4 no.5, HWV 293Organ Concerto in G minor, Op.4 no.1, HWV 289OrlandoPartenopePartenope HWV 27: Sento Amor con novi dardiPensieri notturni di Filli | Nel dolce dell'oblio, HWV 134RinaldoRinaldo, HWV 7: Lascia ch'io piangaRinaldo, HWV 7: Venti turbiniRinaldo, HWV7: Cara sposaRodelinda, HWV 19: Vivi tirannoRodelinda, RWV19: Pompe vane di morte... Dove sei, amato bene?Rodrigo HWV 5: orchestral suiteRoyal Fireworks Music, HWV 351Royal Fireworks Music, HWV 351: OvertureRoyal Fireworks Music, HWV 351: excerptsSalve Regina, HWV 241Samson, HWV 57: OvertureSaul, HWV 53: O Lord, whose mercies numberlessSaul, HWV 53: OvertureSemeleSemele, HWV 58: Despair shall no more wound meSemele, HWV 58: Where'er you WalkSerse (Xerxes)Serse (Xerxes), HWV 40: Crude furieSerse (Xerxes), HWV 40: Frondi tenereSerse (Xerxes), HWV 40: Ombra mai fùSerse (Xerxes), HWV 40: OvertureSerse (Xerxes), HWV 40: Sinfonia Act IIISiete rose ruggiadose, HWV 162Silete venti, HWV 242SolomonSolomon, HWV 67: Arrival of the Queen of ShebaSuite de pièce in G major, Vol 2 no. 2 (aka "Chaconne in G major"), HWV 435Suite no. 7 in G minor, HWV 432: PassacagliaSusannaThe Triumph of Time and TruthTheodoraTheodora, HWV 68: Angels, ever brightTheodora: Kind HeavenTolomeo, Re d'EgittoTolomeo, Re d'Egitto, HWV 25: Inumano fratel.... Stille amareTrio Sonata in B flat major, Op.2 no.3, HWV 388Trio Sonata in C minor, HWV 386aTrio Sonata in F major, HWV 392Violin Sonata in D major, HWV 371Water Music, HWV 348-50Water Music, HWV 348-50: excerptsWater Music, Suite no. 1 in F major, HWV 348Water Music, Suite no. 2 in D major, HWV 349Zadok the Priest, HWV 258: God save the King