That might not sound too impressive, but then again he did suffer from a stroke in , was involved in a coach crash in and had cataracts and eventually went blind after a botched eye operation During the first London performance of Handel's Messiah, King George II stood up as soon as the Hallelujah chorus kicked in - after that, it became traditional for audiences to stand for this famous chorus.
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.
The Hallelujah Chorus has its own tradition that has emerged over time. A standard practice is for the audience to stand while this portion of Messiah is performed. This tradition began by the example of King George II.
It was understood that whenever the King stood, everyone else was supposed to as well. For over years, this tradition has remained. Few people know exactly why the King stood at this time. This kind of prelude was succeeded by the concerto itself which he executed with a degree of spirit and firmness that no one has ever pretended to equal.
The Concerti Grossi Op 6 were composed during the autumn of , and published in April , by which time Handel's music was finding increasing favor at the Vauxhall Gardens, where patrons would stroll along the pathways, saunter among ornamental shrubs and flowers, and partake of refreshments, whilst enjoying extensive performances of instrumental and vocal music by leading composers and musicians.
Handel's popularity at this popular social venue was attested by the installation of a marble bust of Handel by the sculptor Louis-Francois Roubiliac, commissioned by Jonathan Tyers, owner of the pleasure gardens. The commissioned work, on a biblical libretto devised by Jennens, was Messiah.
From its first performances in April which included a charity preview Messiah was an unqualified success, taking its place among the finest and best-loved works ever composed. Upon returning to London, Handel made arrangements for an oratorio subscription season beginning early in He hired Covent Garden, and in February inaugurated the series with Samson , which was warmly received, followed a month later by a performance of the Messiah.
Handel suffered another stroke in April. However he was only temporarily indisposed and soon amazed everyone by the steady stream of large-scale works, mainly oratorios, which he continued to produce. In he prepared the highly acclaimed Music for the Royal Fireworks to accompany the festivities at Green Park in celebration of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle a preview at Vauxhall Gardens was heavily attended.
The first performance of Messiah at the Foundling Hospital a London charitable institution of which he had been a Director since took place in April , thereafter becoming an annual event. He then set about composing Jephtha , but in the course of working on the final Act II chorus, 'How dark, 0 Lord, are thy decrees. All hid from mortal sight', the sight in his left eye failed him, followed not long after by the failure of his right eye.
Even when total blindness came in he continued to perform organ concertos and voluntaries between the parts of his oratorios, so great were his memory and powers of improvisation. He remained involved in the arrangements for performances of his works up to his death on April 14th, Almost immediately Handel became a legend. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, his burial site marked by a monument, again by Roubiliac. Documents on his life began to flow, and on the 25th anniversary of his death in an unprecedented series of three commemoration concerts was organized at Westminster Abbey and the Pantheon, culminating on May 29th in a massed performance at the Abbey of the Messiah.
Indeed it is perhaps most of all through this great and enduring work that Handel is best known today. The rise and fall of Henry James Brydges, first duke of Chandos, provides as worthy a subject as any for a film or television drama. Handel returned to Hanover but only briefly before journeying to England where he remained until his death. It was as a composer in England that Handel firmly established himself.
The operatic works became steadily popular with the London crowds but eventually, after some lapses of artistic judgement, Handel found himself increasingly in debt. Even in the 18 th century, operas were not inexpensive to stage.
Handel found that his reputation and popularity began to wane and all too soon the London audiences found him less fashionable. Undaunted, Handel wrote what was to become probably the best-known oratorio in musical history; The Messiah. Completed in a staggeringly short amount of time, Handel had managed to re-establish himself with the composition of this remarkable work and secure his legacy. What we can reveal in this brief summary of these great Baroque composers are two musicians whose lives paralleled in many ways but also were highly distinct.
Bach remained broadly within a small area of Northern-Germany whilst Handel travelled, eager to learn and be influenced by other cultural traditions.
Both wrote a substantial quantity of instrumental works and both were recognised as virtuoso performers on several instruments. Bach did not seek to rise through the ranks of the social hierarchy whereas Handel deliberately did so and furthered his career as a result in a country that was not his own.
Bach married twice and reportedly fathered twenty children, however, Handel remained a deeply private individual who never sought the benefits of marriage. Handel became a celebrated operatic composer as well as the composer responsible for creating the enormously popular oratorio, The Messiah. Bach was the great master of the polyphonic form, a fugal genius and Handel a melodist of immense power and sensitivity.
The sacred output from Bach greatly outweighs that of Handel although he composed only one full Mass in B minor. Handel never recovered his eyesight and his last compositions were notated painstakingly by his amanuensis copyist , John Christopher Smith; himself a relatively successful opera composer. CMUSE is a participant of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program — it is designed to provide an aid for the websites in earning an advertisement fee — by means of advertising and linking to Amazon.
CMUSE is your music news and entertainment website. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from the music industry. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
0コメント