Some thoughts on George Frederick Handel (1685-1759)

We are so used to seeing the portraits of Handel the grand old man as the naturalised German with bulging cheeks that we somethings don't realise that he was a man of enormous energy and enterprise who, as a young man, took Italy and later London by storm. 

Handel was born in Halle, Germany, in 1685, the same year as that other musical giant of the baroque, J S Bach. Strangely, although the two were born within four weeks of each other and just eighty miles apart, they never ever met. But whereas Bach remained largely a composer for the Lutheran church, Handel’s career was far more cosmopolitan. In fact he can be called the first true international composer. 

Handel's father, Georg Händel (senior) had married the widow of the official barber-surgeon of a suburb of Halle, inheriting his practice. With this, Georg determinedly began the process of becoming self-made; by dint of his "conservative, steady, thrifty, unadventurous" lifestyle. Obviously, his son's musical talents did not impress him and his ambitions for young Georg were for the law. In fact, legend has it that the boy had to practice in the attic on a clavichord that had been smuggled in without his father's knowledge!

Whatever the truth, sometime between the ages of seven and nine, Handel accompanied his father to Weissenfels where he came under the notice of Duke Johann Adolf I. Somehow Handel made his way to the court organ in the palace chapel of the Holy Trinity, where he surprised everyone with his playing.  Overhearing this performance and noting the youth of the performer caused the Duke, whose suggestions were not to be disregarded, to recommend to Georg Händel that Handel be given musical instruction. Hence the career of the boy who would become the man regarded by Beethoven as the greatest composer of all officially began at that point. 

In 1704, Handel's career might have been ended by a quarrel with one Johann Mattheson, a fellow composer. They ended up fighting a duel and Mattheson's sword struck one of Handel's buttons. The two made up and became friends, but the button probably saved Handel's life. Handel was noted throughout his life for his quick temper - one this occasion it might have deprived the world of some of the greatest music ever written!

As a young man Handel travelled to Italy, becoming well schooled in the Italian style of opera and oratorio. The result was some spectacular works including the Dixit Dominus. This would be my recommendation as a modern, virtuoso performance.