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Handel
Second Edition
Donald Burrows
656 pages
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23 illustrations; 54 musical examples
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235x156mm
978-0-19-973736-9
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Paperback
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12 July 2012
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- Comprehensive and balanced account of one of the most remarkable figures in the history of western music
- Draws on an unusually rich legacy of contemporary documentary and musical sources
- Author is recognized internationally as the leading authority on the life and music of George Frideric Handel
Handel is one of the most remarkable figures in the history of western music. His compositions form one of the peaks of creative achievement in the Baroque period, and cover a remarkable range: full-scale Italian operas and English oratorios (including Messiah), but also shorter works such as the Water Music and the Coronation Anthem Zadok the Priest. His compositional processes were often complex, but could result in accessible and memorable 'hit tunes', such as the aria that subsequently became famous as 'Handel's Largo'.
His life and career were as remarkable as his music. Born in
Germany to a family that reputedly tried to discourage his initial interest in music, he broke away to seek his fortune in Italian opera, and proceeded to gain first-hand experience of the latest Italian styles in Rome, Florence, Venice and Naples. A series of career moves brought him via Hanover to London, where he eventually settled and dominated the city's musical life for half a century. There he quickly made his mark in English church music as well as Italian opera, and eventually created two new musical genres - English theatre oratorio and the organ concerto.
Handel is important also because, as a musician, he also became a significant public figure. In Rome he attracted the patronage of princes and cardinals; soon after his arrival in London he appeared at
the court of Queen Anne, and he subsequently enjoyed substantial support from the 'Hanoverian' royal family. He survived turbulent periods in the musical and political life of London, reached a wider public through publications of his music, died a rich man and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
This biography provides a comprehensive and balanced account of both the man and his music, drawing on the unusually rich legacy of documentary and musical sources from Handel's lifetime. This new edition of a book that has been recognized as a 'classic' biography of Handel, reliable on the factual details of the composer's life and comprehensive in the coverage of his music, incorporates a great deal of new material. The last half century has seen a great renewal of
research on the circumstances of Handel's life, and a major expansion in performances and recordings of his music. The book brings together the results of this scholarly activity, and is informed by wide experience of modern performances of Handel's music, including the revival of his operas and experimentation with 'authentic' performance practices.Readership: The general audience of concert and opera goers, and lovers of church music. Handel scholars, students of western music history and classical performance.
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Donald Burrows, Professor, Open University Donald Burrows is a leading authority on the life and music of George Frideric Handel. His book Handel and the English Chapel Royal has been recognised as the first full-scale study of Handel's English church music. His published editions of Handel's music include the oratorios Messiah, Samson and Belshazzar, the operas Imeneo and Ariodante, the complete violin sonatas and the suite for two harpsichords.
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Illustrations
Figures
Preface
1 Germany, 1685-1706
2 Italy and Hanover, 1706-10
3 Music for Germany and Italy, 1706-10
4 London: The first decade, 1711-19
5 The music, 1711-19
6 The 'Academy' years, 1720-32
7 The music of the 'Academy years
Operas
Other works
8 The transitional decade I: Competition, 1732-7
9 The transitional decade II: Confusion, 1737-41
10 The music, 1732-41
Operas
Oratorios and odes
Church music
Instrumental music
11 The oratorio composer 1: Dublin and London, 1741-5
12 The oratorio composer II: Towards victory, 1745-9
13 The music of the 1740s
Theatre music
Other works
14 The final decade I: The last major works, 1749-51
15 The final decade II: A career completed
Appendices
A Calendar
B List of works
C Personalia
D The ruling houses of Hanover, Britain and Prussia
E A London Opera-goer in 1728
F Select bibliography
Index
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The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.
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