1. Baroque Music Part 3

2. George Friderick Handel

3. George Frideric Handel
Born in Halle, Germany (one month before Bach)
not from a musical family
father wanted him to be a lawyer.
Started off composing opera
wrote music for the Queen of England
Went blind from cataracts at the end of his life.
Buried in Westminster Abbey

4. Handel - Westminster

5. The Oratorio Oratorio: Usually lasts approximately 2 hours
is a large-scale composition for chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra.
Uses aria and recitatives just like opera
Usually lasts approximately 2 hours

6. The Oratorio -Tells a story through singing.
-Not opera because there is no acting, scenery, props, or costumes.

7. Handel’s Oratorios
Stories in the oratorios are generally from the Old Testament of the Bible
These were performed for a paying public, not performed for free in church on Sunday.
Chorus is the most important part!

8. Handel’s Messiah The whole work lasts 2 ½ hours.
It was composed in just a short 24 days!
Premiered in Dublin, Ireland in 1742 as a benefit for people in debtor's prison.
Only one of Handel’s oratorios to use New Testament verses.
Tells the story of Jesus’ life from birth to death.

9. Handel Continued…
Wrote Joy to the World, Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks, and many operas.
Opera in England was very Italian.
Italian opera often used castrati to achieve inhuman sound and power.
This practice wasn’t banned until the mid-19th century.

10. Handel Opera
The most famous castrato that Handel wrote for was Farinelli. Seen here:
Handel mostly wrote normal opera’s, at least 40. Primarily opera seria.
Listen here:

11. Review
Baroque Era

12. Baroque Forms Opera Aria Fugue Suite Recitative Solo Concerto Chorale
Concerto Grosso
Ritornello Form
Fugue
Suite
Chorale
Cantata
Oratorio

13. Baroque Terms Unity of Mood Terraced Dynamics Basso Continuo
Baroque Orchestra
Movement
Patron
Music Director
Libretto
Librettist
Overture/Prelude
Ritornello
Tutti
Theme