Not only was George Frideric Handel one of the greatest composers of the baroque era, he also wrote the most frequently performed oratorio of all time: the "Messiah." Although this Christmas-time classic is the work that Handel is best known for,...
[more]Not only was George Frideric Handel one of the greatest composers of the baroque era, he also wrote the most frequently performed oratorio of all time: the "Messiah." Although this Christmas-time classic is the work that Handel is best known for, he composed a number of other masterpieces, both sacred and secular, during his career in the early eighteenth century.
Handel epitomized the baroque style, which favored a simple musical theme overlayed with myriad embellishments, trills, and ornaments. In the beginning of his career he was enamored of the Italian operatic style of Scarlatti and Corelli, and he tried his own hand at Italian opera. However, he found a greater measure of success writing oratorios -- religiously themed works for symphony, chorus, and soloist, often featuring words taken from the Bible. The "Messiah" retains by far the most popularity, but other works, including "Samson and Delilah" and "Agrippina," remain in standard classical repertoire.
Handel was a volatile man, often engaged in some sort of controversy over his music or his manner. Born in 1685, he was trained to be a lawyer, but, after finishing law school, decided that his true calling was music. He spent some time as an orchestral violinist and then moved on to direct and compose his own operas. Although he soon received offers from royal patrons, he eschewed the position of court composer, remaining a free agent until he found the position best suited to him. That position turned out to be in England, which became a second home to the German-born composer.
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