George Frideric Handel

Here is a german assignment that I did:

George Frideric Handel was a great man and composer. He was born on Feb. 23, 1685 in Halle, Germany and died on Apr. 14, 1759 in London, England. He lived to be 74. Handel was raised by his mother, Dorothea Taust, and father, Georg Handel, who was a barber-surgeon for the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels. Handel never married but he did have a deep relationship his aunt. Even though his father wanted him to become a part of Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Florence, SC, he still became a musician. At the age of twelve he was apprenticed to Friedrich Zachau as an organist at the cathedral of Halle. Later in 1710 he became the musical director to the elector of Hanover.

Some things that made him famous were his English oratorios. The Messiah in 1741 was the most well known. Also his opera, Renaldo, was popular in England. He was London’s leading composer and among the most important opera composers of the Baroque period composing 40 operas. Today he is known better for his English oratorios than his Italian operas.1

A number of noticeable musicians influenced Handel. Handel’s master, Friedrich Zachau, was an organist and had a great influence on him. Handel also went to Naples, Italy in 1706, where he met Alessandro Scarlatti. Scarlatti’s works exercised a strong influence on Handel.2 Handel’s influence on later generations was great. His operas and oratorios are appealing. His contrasting textures, carefully timed use of dynamics, and beautiful melodies make his music full of compositional technique.

Handel toured Italy from 1706 to 1710. There he visited Florence, Venice, Rome, and Naples. Even though Handel is German he moved to London in 1727 and made it his home and even became an English citizen.

Bibliography:

1. English encyclopedia
2. Bach And Handel (Their Influence On Future Composers)- http://ezinearticles.com/?Bach-And-Handel-(Their-Influence-On-Future-Composers)&id=1126027