HANDEL, GEORGE FRIDERIC (b. Halle, Germany 23 Feb 1685 d. London, England 14 April 1759)
Because his best work was composed in England, where, after the age of twenty six, he spent most of his life, Handel is often claimed as an English composer. In fact he was German and his musical influences were almost exclusively Italian.
His background was not musical; his father is said to have objected to his learning to play the keyboards as a child. However, he managed to study the organ and, after his father's death, left home to become an orchestral violinist in Hamburg, and, later, an organist in Rome. Although he had been writing opera since Hamburg, his first big success, Agrippina, was staged in 1709, in Venice. This won him an offer from Elector Georg Ludwig to be court musician in Hanover.
Soon after taking the position, Handel got leave to go to London. There he acquired a libretto from the impresario of The Haymarket Theatre and, in two weeks, had completed Rinaldo, the opera which ensured his London success. It opened on February 24th 1711, introducing the singer Nicolo Grimaldi (Nicolino) the first of the great cult castrati.
Thereafter, except for brief periods in Germany, Handel was to live in London. Indeed, it's been said that his work there did much to stifle native music in England in his lifetime.
With success on the opera stage and a powerful patron in the teenage Earl of Burlington, he quickly became rich and influential. In 1714, on the death of Queen Anne, Georg the Elector became George 1 of England. Handel's music was to become a feature of his court.
Renewed interest in opera sent the composer to Germany in 1719, to collect
singers to perform in his Radamisto, at His Majesty's Theatre in London. The Royal Academy of Music, which functioned at His Majesty's, produced several operas in this period, but closed in 1728. Handel, who had become Composer to the Royal Chapel in 1726, immediately joined Heidegger, an impresario, in setting up The New Royal Academy. The company established itself by hiring Senesino, another popular castrato. As performances in English were becoming popular, HandelΓÇÖs Acis and Galatea was performed in that language. In 1733 the company had a smash hit with his Orlando, with Senesino in the title r├┤le.
His first real oratorio, Deborah, followed, but audiences were not enthusiastic. The New Royal Academy then began to fail, as a rival company wooed away Senesino and won audiences by introducing Farinelli, perhaps the greatest castrato of all.
In 1734 Handel went into partnership with John Rich, proprietor of Covent Garden Theatre, which was still under construction. Their first productions were Handel's operas, Ariodante and Alcina. Opera was becoming unpopular, in London, however, and the public began to stay away.
The continued stress of hard work and failure to please undermined Handel's health. In 1736 his right arm was paralysed by a stroke and he went to Germany to recover. It was clear when he returned that Italian opera was no longer viable in London.
With Charles Jennens Jr. as librettist, Handel then began to write the great oratorios, presenting both Saul and Israel in Egypt early in 1739. The public was not impressed. Other attempts in opera failed also and, financially broken, Handel gave a farewell concert in 1741.
Almost at once, he began to write two more oratorios, Messiah and Samson. He premiered Messiah on April 13th 1742, on a visit to Dublin. Both works were subsequently performed successfully in London and, despite failing health, the following years saw consecutive seasons of his oratorios at various theatres. By 1747 this work had become popular, though his oratorios were never to reach the heights of success that had been achieved by his operas.
Early in 1751, the composer began work on Jephtha, his last oratorio. This was delayed by failing eyesight and an operation; by 1753 he seems to have been blind. Thereafter he remained increasingly at home, although he conducted a short oratorio season early in 1759. He died in his bed on Good Friday of the same year, having collapsed some days earlier, after a performance of Messiah. The English honoured him with burial in Westminster Abbey.
