George Frideric Handel / by Paul Henry Lang.
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
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New York :
Norton,
1977, ℗♭1966.
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| Series: | Norton library.
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Table of Contents:
- I. 1685
- 1703 : Halle ; Handel's family ; Earliest youth ; Apprenticed to Zachow ; Zachow as teacher ; Handel's notebook and its contents ; Fellow students ; Visit to Berlin ; Meeting electoral couple and Italian composers ; Appointed organist at Halle Cathedral ; The university student ; Compositions in Halle period ; Decision to leave Halle
- II. 1703
- 1706 : Hamburg ; Music in Hamburg ; Handel arrives in 1703 ; Friendship with Mattheson ; Handel joins opera orchestra ; Keiser, his influence on Handel ; First attempt at opera, Almira (1705); Handel-Keiser relationship ; Altercation and reconciliation with Mattheson ; Debacle of Nero ; Handel resigns from Hamburg opera ; Composes St. John Passion ; State of oratorio-Passion in Germany ; The Passion in Handel's life work ; Handel leaves for Italy
- III. 1706
- : Italy at the opening of the 18th century ; Hegemony of opera and concerto ; German vs. Italian music ; The process of assimilation ; Handel in Florence ; Rome ; Papal court, academies, patrons ; Prohibition of opera ; The Arcadian Academy ; Handel meets Corelli, Scarlatti, Pasquini ; Begins his study of Italian music ; The cantata ; Mood and melody ; The Florentine cantatas ; Roman cantatas ; Handel's patrons ; Large cantata-serenatas ; Church music ; Spirit of Latin-Italian church music ; The "bilingual" composers ; Survival of Palestrina ideal ; Maturing of Handel's choral writing
- IV.
- 1710 : The Italian oratorio ; Dramatic-theatrical elements ; Role of the scriptures ; Carissimi ; The Old Testament in the Italian oratorio ; Italian works heard by Handel ; La Resurrezione (1708) ; Second visit to Florence ; Rodrigo ; Naples ; Opera and church music in Naples ; Composes Aci, Galatea, e Polifemo and Agrippina ; Venice ; Agrippina produced December 1709 ; Friendship with Domenico Scarlatti ; Musical life in Venice ; Opera ; Conservatories ; The late Venetian madrigal ; Instrumental music ; Italian musical language completely absorbed ; Aspects of Handel's decision to abandon Italy ; Religious and artistic reasons ; Handel leaves for Hanover
- V. 1710-1712 : Hanover ; Elector Georg Ludwig ; His wife, Caroline ; Brief stay in Hanover ; Conjectures concerning voyage to London ; Visit to Halle and Dusseldorf ; Arrival in London, fall of 1710 ; State of Italian opera in London ; Entrepreneurs on the scene ; The Haymarket and Drury Lane Theatres ; Handel makes contact with Haymarket Theatre ; The intermediaries ; Handel's first London opera, Rinaldo (February 1711) ; John Walsh, the publisher ; Opposition to Italian opera ; Handel begins to move in social circles ; Thomas Britton and his concerts ; Handel's leave of absence ends ; Second stay in Hanover ; Back in London, fall of 1712 ; Compositions in Hanover.
- VI. 1712-1720 : Handel in Burlington House ; Il Pastor fido ; Teseo (1713) ; First financial crisis ; Birthday Ode and Utrecht Te Deum (1713) ; Handel assumes Purcell's legacy ; The English tone appears in Handel's music ; Queen Anne dies, Georg Ludwig proclaimed King, August 1714 ; George I arrives in London, Truant Hanoverian conductor's dilemma ; Handel composes Silla for Burlington, Amadigi for Haymarket (1715) ; Handel firmly in saddle ; Begins his financial investments ; Jacobite rebellion put down ; The King leaves for Hanover followed by Handel ; Travels to Halle and Ansbach ; Meeting Christoph Schmidt ; Disputed visit to Hamburg ; The German Passion in the 18th century ; Brockes Passion (1716?) ; Handel returns to London, end of 1716 ; Opera season of 1717 ; Cannons ; The Duke of Chandos and his establishment ; The "English" compositions ; Handel's sister Dorothea dies (summer of 1718) ; Water music, concertos, opus 3 ; Formation of Royal Academy of Music ; Handel goes to the continent to recruit a troupe, June 1719 ; Returns late in fall ; Academy ready to open
- VII. Baroque opera, its nature, dramaturgy, and esthetics ; Comparison of Baroque with modern opera ; Obstacles to our understanding ; The aria ; Role of Alessandro Scarlatti ; Italian melody, Handelian melody ; General form of Handel's opera ; The castrato
- VIII. (1720-1728) : Royal Academy opens first season ; Radamisto (1720) ; Giovanni Bononcini joins staff ; Ensuing rivalry ; Second season ; Third season ; Floridante (1721) ; Cuzzoni added to company ; Fourth season ; Ottone, Flavio (1723) ; Fifth season ; Giulio Cesare (1724) ; Bononcini vanquished ; Sixth season ; Tamerlano, Rodelinda (1724) ; Handel buys a house ; Academy in financial difficulties ; Bordoni engaged ; Seventh season ; Scipione, Alessandro (1726) ; Eighth season ; Admeto (1727) ; Profitable year ; Handel becomes a British subject, February 20, 1727 ; George I dies, George II proclaimed King, January 1727 ; Ninth season ; Ricardo I (1727), Siroe (1728) ; Collapse of Academy ; Reasons for failure of Italian opera ; "English opera" and "semi-opera" ; The language barrier ; The Beggar's Opera ; Its success seals fate of Academy
- IX. Beginning of "English" Handel ; Standards of Augustan Age ; Class society and religion ; Capitalism ; The bourgeoisie ; Literature ; The Burlington circle ; Its influence on Handel ; About church music ; German music of the Baroque ; The cantor's art ; The Church of England ; Its secular spirit in Handel's time ; Nonconformists and Puritans ; Handel's conception of Anglican church music ; Commemorative-ceremonial-patriotic compositions ; Ode and anthem ; Chandos Anthems ; Other anthems ; Te Deums ; Handel's English church music compared to Continental ; His indebtedness to English composers
- X. 1729-1737 : Handel and Heidegger take over defunct Academy ; Trip to Italy to recruit singers ; Finds Italian opera changed ; Aged mother's illness hastens departure ; Visit to Halle ; Return to London ; Second Academy opens, end of 1729 ; Lotario (1729), Partenope (1730) ; Poor season ; New singers improve second season ; Walsh as Handel's principal publisher ; Poro (1731) ; Season closes successfully ; Handel's mother dies ; Ezio, Sosarme (1732), Orlando (1733) ; Interlude from opera: Deborah (1733) ; Renewed operatic rivalry ; Opera of the nobility ; Fourth season ends with Handel's singers deserting ; Invitation to Oxford ; Tremendous success with English compositions ; Athalia (1733), first full-fledged oratorio ; Handel ignores success, resumes battle for opera ; Formidable competition led by Porpora ; The two Ariannas (1734) ; Parnasso in Festa ; Heidegger dissolves partnership, Handel joins Covent Garden ; Ariodante, Alcina (1735) ; Lenten season of English works ; Opposition grows stronger, Handel's health begins to fail ; Handel turns to English works ; Alexander's Feast (1736) ; Despite success, Handel returns to opera ; Atalanta (1736) ; Balance turns in his favor, Porpora retreats ; Arminio, Giustino, Berenice (1737) ; Both opera companies bankrupt ; Handel collapses in mind and health ; Leaves for Aix.
- XI. Cannons ; Masque and pastoral ; Handel's pantheism ; Culture and nature as concentric forces ; Pictorialism in music ; Acis and Galatea ; Use of the chorus ; Mozart's edition ; Modern fallacies in performance ; Esther ; Libretto and music poorly organized ; Much borrowed material ; Historical importance ; Bernard Gates performs Esther (1732) ; Subsequent piratical production arouses Handel ; First appearance of religious issue ; Bishop of London and his edict ; Second unauthorized production: Acis ; Handel destroys competition ; Deborah ; New role of chorus ; Racine and the return of Greek drama ; Athalia successful, but Handel returns to opera ; Alexander's Feast
- XII. 1737-1741 : Aachen ; Remarkable recovery ; Handel returns to London ; Renews partnership with Heidegger ; Queen Caroline dies ; Funeral Anthem (1737) ; Faramondo (1738) ; Roubiliac's statue ; Handel's property ; Serse (1738) ; Opera disappears in London for two years ; Handel begins Saul ; Charles Jennens ; Saul, Israel in Egypt (1739) ; Handel leases in Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre ; Ode for St. Cecilia's Day (1739), L'Allegro, il Penseroso, ed il Moderato (1740) ; Influence of Purcell ; Handel suddenly returns to opera ; Imeneo (1740), Deidamia (1741) ; Final opera season ends in spring of 1741 ; Inception of "conversion" theory with Hawkins ; The "oratorio way"
- XIII. 1741-1742 : Messiah (1741) ; Circumstances surrounding composition of Messiah ; Arguments supporting special purpose ; The legends ; Dublin at the time of Handel's visit ; Local musical scene ; Charitable societies ; Handel's trip to Dublin ; First public concerts ; Subscription sold out ; Second series of concerts ; Messiah first performed, April 13, 1742 ; The libretto ; The music ; Critical appreciation of Messiah in modern literature ; Handel returns to London
- XIV. The oratorio since the Romantic era ; Religious-moral-didactic conceptions ; English views of the Old Testament ; Comparison of English and German oratorio ; The historical-scriptural drama ; Handel and the Old Testament ; Classifications of the Handelian oratorio ; Its constituent strains ; Classical antiquity ; The Augustan Age and classicism ; Classical dramatic tradition in England ; Greek drama as reflected in Handel's oratorio ; Attic drama and English Bible ; Racine reintroduces chorus ; The Handelian oratorio and the Old Testament ; English conceptions of the role of the Old Testament in Christianity ; Oratorio vis-a-vis stage and church ; Handelian oratorio as music drama
- XV. 1742-1744 : Handel returns from Dublin ; Milton and his Samson Agonistes ; Hamilton's libretto for Samson ; The music ; Handel's changed dramaturgical ideas ; Tenor displaces castrato ; Samson (1743) a success ; First Messiah in London ; Dettingen Te Deum (1743) ; Radical change of style: Semele (1744) ; Congreve's libretto arranged ; The music ; Renewed opera war ; Ruthlessness of Middlesex party ; Moral opposition from public and clergy to Semele ; Joseph and his Brethren (1744) ; Middlesex company collapses, Handel leases Haymarket Theatre ; Twenty-four subscription concerts announced.
- XVI. 1744-1745 : Hercules (1745) ; Broughton's libretto ; The music ; Failure leads to cancellation of concert series ; Public rallies and Handel resumes performances ; Belshazzar (1745) ; Jennens's libretto ; The music ; Failure again forces suspension of concerts ; Handel vacates Haymarket Theatre ; Suffers another physical collapse
- XVII. 1745-1748 : Handel recovers but is a changed man ; Shuns public and does not compose ; Stuart rebellion rouses dormant creative instinct ; The "victory" oratorios ; Occasional Oratorio (1746) ; Battle of Culloden commemorated in Judas Maccabaeus (April 1746) ; Morell's libretto ; The music ; Instant success ; Handel abandons subscription system ; Mixed opinions about Judas Maccabaeus ; Handel and Morell continue with successful recipe: Alexander Balus (1748) ; The music ; Joshua (1748) ; End of "occasional" oratorio phase ; Handel's life and position changed ; His status unassailable ; Gluck visits London ; New singers trained by Handel ; His calm and serene life
- XVIII. 1748-1749 : Solomon (1749) ; Librettist unknown ; The music ; Susanna (1749) ; Anonymous librettist ; The music ; Handel acquiesces in public's indolence ; Proved successes carry the oratorio seasons ; Political events claim his attention ; Royal Fireworks Music (1749) ; Made governor of Foundling Hospital ; The admired master
- XIX. 1749-1750 : New tone in last oratorios ; Theodora (1750) has non-biblical Christian subject ; Comparison of two "Christian" oratorios: Theodora and Messiah ; Morell's libretto ; The music ; Theodora Handel's favorite oratorio ; Final castrato role ; Theodora complete failure ; Entr'acte: Smollett's Alceste (1749), reworked as The Choice of Hercules ; The music ; Handel purchases Rembrandt picture ; Presents organ to Foundling Hospital ; Conducts Messiah to overflowing houses ; Yearly performance of Messiah becomes tradition ; Handel makes his will, June 1750 ; Last visit to Germany
- XX. 1751-1752 : Last oratorio, Jephtha ; Handel takes leave of his artistic career ; New serenity ; The religious element in Jephtha ; Prototypes ; Morell's libretto ; Morel's miscalculations righted by Handel ; The music ; Borrowings from Habermann ; Onslaught of blindness ; Oratorio seasons held despite Handel's infirmity ; 1752 season comes to end with death of Prince of Wales ; Jephtha presented in 1752.
- XXI. 1752-1759 : Handel undergoes unsuccessful eye surgery ; No failure of creative imagination; Additions to revised oratorios dictated ; First codicil to will, August 1756 ; The Triumph of Time and Truth (1756), last "new" work ; Morell's libretto ; The music ; Second and third codicils ; Handel supposedly operated on by Taylor, summer of 1758 ; Last oratorio season ends, April 6, 1759 ; Final codicil ; Handel dies on April 14, 1759, and is buried in Westminster Abbey XXII. Handel the man, his friends, his surroundings ; Handel the conductor, the entrepreneur, the businessman ; Relationship with English musicians ; Handel and women; the heroines in his works ; Handel and nature, his genre scenes ; Spirit of rural England ; Handel's English ; Handel's religion ; Impresario vs. creative artist ; Deism ; Handel's mutilation of his own scores ; Borrowings ; The moral issue ; "Invention" and "imagination" in the 18th century ; Handel's transplanting technique
- XXIII. Handel's style ; The operas ; Problem of opera in England ; Handel and the Italian tradition ; Changed style in last operas ; Ensemble and chorus ; Recitative, aria, arioso, scena ; His opera librettists ; Absence of buffa vein ; English oratorio a personal creation ; The oratorio librettists ; Survival of operatic elements in oratorio ; Handel's difficulties with post-denouement matters ; The happy ending ; Handel's role in the operatic reform ascribed to Gluck ; Inhibitions faced by modern musicians approaching Handelian style
- XXIV. Handel's melody, harmony, rhythm, and metre ; The improvisatory element ; Counterpoint ; The fugue ; Choral counterpoint ; Other stylistic features ; The recitative ; Difficult change from Italian to English recitative ; The aria ; The da capo principle ; The concerted aria ; Stylized aria types ; Difference between oratorio and opera arias ; The ensemble ; Illustrative symbolism ; Hermeneutics and Affektenlehre ; Arguments for and against musical hermeneutics ; Handel's use of musical symbols ; Handel and French music
- XXV. Handel's instrumental music ; Strong Italian influence ; Motivic unity ; Euphony as main condition ; German sources ; French and English elements ; Chamber music ; Orchestral works ; "Oboe" concertos, Opus 3 ; Mixture of old and new concertos ; Twelve grand concertos, Opus 6 ; Other concertos and suites ; Organ concertos ; Harpsichord works.
- XXVI. Handel's orchestra ; The concerto grosso principle ; The basso continuo ; Baroque orchestral balance ; Harpsichord and organ ; Handel's chorus ; Quality of Handel's performances ; Modern performance practices ; Tempo and dynamics ; Continuity ; Ornamentation ; The restored scores ; The problem of length ; "Additional accompaniment" and arrangements ; The castrato parts ; Bowdlerized texts
- XXVII. Handelian biography ; Chrysander and Serauky ; The English Handelians: Rockstro, Streatfeild, Flower ; Winton Dean ; Bach and Handel, the inevitable comparison ; Handel and English music ; Who "crushed" music in England? ; Handel and Purcell ; Failure to establish English opera ; Handel's contemporaries in England.