George Frederic Handel was born February 23, 1685 (the same year as J. S. Bach) and baptized the next day at the Lutheran Marktkirche (Market Church) in Halle. Handel’s father wanted him to study Civil Law, yet Handel from his childhood was inclined to music. His father sought to discourage this inclination and removed all musical instruments from the house. Little Handel had, however, already made some progress on the keyboard. Even after all the instruments were removed, he “had found means to get a little clavichord privately convey’d to a room at the top of the house. To this room he constantly stole when the family was asleep.”
When Handel was not yet seven years old, he accompanied his father to visit the Duke of Saxe-Weisenfels. While his father was attending to business, Handel helped himself to the harpsichords and organs. One day during this visit, Handel was playing the organ after a church service and the Duke took notice and wanted to meet him. “After he had seen him, and made all the inquiries which it was natural for a man of taste and discernment to make on such an occasion, he told [Handel’s father], that every father must judge for himself in what manner to dispose of his children; but that, for his own part, he could not but consider it as a sort of crime against the public and posterity, to rob the world of such a rising Genius!” The father argued that “though Music was an elegant art, and a fine amusement, yet if considered as an occupation, it had little dignity, as having for its object nothing better than mere pleasure and entertainment: that whatever degree of eminence his son might arrive at in such a profession, he thought that a much less degree in many others would be far preferable. The Prince could not agree with him in his notions of Music as a profession, which he said were much too low and disparaging, as great excellence in any kind entitled men to great honour.”
Handel’s father decided to get organ lessons for his son, giving credit to the Duke’s opinion and to the advice of his friends, who said of young Handel that “from all the accounts, the case appeared so desperate, that nothing but the cutting off his fingers could prevent his playing.” Handel took organ lessons from Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow, the Lutheran kantor at the Market Church in Halle. (Zachow was a great composer in his own right and has many excellent organ works based on Lutheran hymns.) Zachow also taught Handel violin, harpsichord, oboe, and music theory. In 1702 Handel began studies at the University of Halle. The church records of the Market Church show that Handel communed there during this time.
Handel served in several music positions on continental Europe before permanently settling in England in 1712. He held positions with the Royal Academy of Music (1719-1734) and the Opera at Covent Garden (1734-1741). Handel had written music for a few biblical oratorios previously in his career, but in England there was increasing demand for this style of composition. By the end of the 1730’s, Handel had composed Esther, Deborah, Athalia, Saul, and Israel in Egypt. Charles Jennens wrote the librettos (texts) for some of Handel’s oratorios, and the most famous would prove to be Messiah.
Handel received the libretto of Messiah in July 1741, began composing the music for it partway through August, and had the music finished by early September. It had taken him 24 days. Handel gives a tip of the hat to his Lutheran hymn heritage in the famous “Hallelujah Chorus,” quoting the melody of Wachet Auf, “Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying” (compare “The kingdom of this world” with “The Bridegroom comes, awake!”; “And He shall reign forever and ever” with “To meet the Bridegroom who is near”).
In 1742 Handel was invited to Ireland for a concert season. “The first step that he made, was to perform his Messiah for the benefit of the city-prison [debtors’ prison]. Such a design drew together not only all the lovers of Music, but all the friends of humanity. There was a peculiar propriety in this design from the subject of the Oratorio itself.” The performance was a great success and raised enough money to free 142 imprisoned debtors.
Back in London, Handel applied Messiah “to the relief of persons exposed to all the miseries of perpetual confinement; it was afterwards consecrated to the service of the most innocent, most helpless, and most distressed part of the human species. The Foundling Hospital originally rested on the slender foundation of private benefactions. At a time when this institution was yet in its infancy; when all men seemed to be convinced of its utility; when nothing was at all problematical but the possibility of supporting it;—Handel formed the noble resolution to lend his assistance, and perform his Messiah annually for its benefit. The sums raised by each performance were very considerable, and certainly of great consequence in such a crisis of affairs. But what was of much greater, was the magic of his name, and the universal character of his sacred Drama. By these vast numbers of the nobility and gentry were drawn to the hospital; and many, who, at the first, had been contented with barely approving the design, were afterwards warmly engaged in promoting it. In consequence of this resort, the attention of the nation was also drawn more forcibly to what was indeed the natural object of it. So that it may truly be affirmed, that one of the noblest and most extensive charities that ever was planned by the wisdom, or projected by the piety of men, in some degree owes its continuance, as well as prosperity, to the patronage of Handel.”
Messiah has retained its association with charity to this day. Handel “continued his Oratorios with uninterrupted success, and unrivalled glory, till within eight days of his death: the last was performed on the 6th of April, and he expired on Saturday the 14th of April 1759.”
John Mainwaring ends his biography of Handel with the following words, which, while originally written to the English, should prove no less an inspiration to our own students: “Little indeed are the hopes of ever equalling, much less of excelling so vast a Proficient in his own way: however, as there are so many avenues to excellence still open, so many paths to glory still untrod, it is hoped that the example of this illustrious Foreigner will rather prove an incentive, than a discouragement to the industry and genius of our own countrymen.”
In Christ,
Pastor Richard
Quotes are from Memoirs of the Life of the Late George Frederic Handel by John Mainwaring, 1760
