George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was born on 23 February 1685, to an old barber-surgeon George Handel and his wife Dorothea in Halle Germany. Handel’s father was so determined that he would become a lawyer that his father forbade all music and instruments from his home. It is said that a small clavier with muffled strings was smuggled into the attic for Handel, so his father could not hear him as he taught himself to play. "Master of the Oratorio," he was known as, it is said that no one "surpassed his ability in writing oratorios. You may ask what an Oratorio is, I will tell you. An Oratorio is a musical play based on Bible Story or scripture. It uses solos; ensembles and choruses to tell the story. Usually an orchestra or organ accompanies the singers. Unlike opera, it is not acted out with costumes of props. or "the anointed one" as Jesus the Christ. Divided into three parts, the libretto covers the prophecies concerning the Christ, the birth, miracles, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and finally the End Times with the Christ’s final victory over death and sin. Although the work was conceived for secular theatre and first performed during Lent, it has become common practice since Handel’s death to perform MessiahMessiah during Advent, the preparatory period of the Christmas season, rather than in Lent or at Easter. Messiah is often performed in churches as will as in concert halls. Christmas concerts often feature only the first section of Messiah plus the "Hallelujah" chorus, although some ensembles feature the entire work as a Christmas concert. The work is also heard at Easterside, and selections containing resurrection themes are often included in Easter services. The world record for an unbroken sequence of annual performances of the work by the same organization is held by the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic, in Melbourne, Australia, which has performed Messiah at least once annually for 157 years, starting in its foundation your of 1853. The work is divided into three parts which address specific events in the life of Christ. Part One is primarily concerned with the Advent and ChristmasIn August 1750 Handel was one his way back to London from Germany, Handel was seriously injured in a carriage accident. In 1751, he started losing eyesight in one eye, the cause was a cartaract which was operated on by the great Charlatan Chevalier Taylor, this led to uveitis and loss of vision. In 1759 we died, at the age of 74. At his funeral there were more than three thousand mourners. He was buried at Westminister Abbey.
When Handel was seven years old he accompanied his father to Weissenfels, where the duke heard him playing on the chapel organ and told Handel’s father that Handel should be allowed to study music, which his father allowed. Back in Halle, Handel studied with Friedric Wilhelm Zachau.
By eleven years old he proficiently played the organ, harpsichord, oboe, and violin, he had already composed six sonatas, and he served as assistant organist at Halle Cathedral. In 1702 he started studying law at Halle University. In 1705 he quit assistant organist and the university, moved to Hamburg joined the symphony were he was second violinist and composed his first opera Almira. Two years later in Italy he composed his first italian opera Agrippina. Later in 1710, he returned to Germany and became the choirmaster to the Elector of Hanover. Shortly after he visited London where his opera, Rinaldo was so famed that he was asked to stay in England, where he wrote Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne that he was awarded a salary of several hundred pounds. Queen Anne died and King George l took over, Handel wrote Water Music for a festival on the river Thames, King George liked it so much that he gave Handel a salary for the rest of his life.
Handel’s Messiah is probably the most famous one ever composed. Messiah presents an interpretation of the Christian view of the
