Handel Goes Wild: Music Analysis

Many musical scholars believe that J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel are the two most important, influential composers of the Baroque period. Both of these men were born in Germany in 1685, and since they came into existence around the same time, they share some similarities. As an introductory statement, Bach and Handel were born into two very different families. Handel did not come from a musical family; his father wanted him to study law. By age nine, his talent was too obvious for his father to ignore and Handel began to study with a local organist and composer. On the contrary, Bach came from a long line of musicians. Bach also had four sons which became gifted composers, in their own right. Bach, like Handel, also started as an organist

In 1894, a young, quietly colorful Charles Ives enters Yale University. He enters with a strong musical foundation provided by his father and community and a vision of what he thinks music can be. Horatio Parker, Ives’s composition professor unashamedly informs Ives that his vision of music seems blurry, perhaps even nauseating, to the astute, cultured musician. Ives quickly develops anger towards Parker’s traditional tutelage and rarely recognizes the positive effects Parker has on his compositions. Here begins the battle between new and old that Ives and Parker embarked upon during Ives’s college years, however the story starts and ends far from their four short years together.

From 1600 to 1750, Western Europe music was known as the Baroque period. The most known composers of this era were Bach, Vivaldi and Handle. Their music and styles inspired the people of their time and continue to do so 400 years later in the modern world. The Baroque era was considered a time of flamboyant lifestyles; a style that “filled the space.” When the church began to distance themselves from the political control of Europe, composers began to come up with more radical styles to be used in their pieces that had not been seen before. For this reason, Baroque music became known for its highly energetic and dramatic styles. Of course, behind this great music came amazingly talented composers who made it all happen. Perhaps one of the

I will talk about four issues that need to be addressed in order to perform early music today: tempo, material, articulation, and ornamentation. I will discuss what tempo meant during the Baroque period, the material required for the Baroque tone, how articulation was handled, as well as the purpose of ornamentation.

This paper will discuss the works of Susan Botti, Jennifer Higdon and Cindy McTee, three women composers of the 21st Century, and how they influenced composition with their tonal structures, melodic inventions, unique compositional techniques, along with innovations in notation, and rhythmic intricacy. I will be analyzing Concerto for Orchestra by Higdon and Echo Tempo by Botti.

Thus, in Italy the word “concerto” in its earliest form, was not a term only for purely instrumental music, but rather one for mixed groups of voices and instruments together. The concerto then evolved into something rather different than what it was first considered. It’s evolution turned into something in which both display and virtuosity soon assumed an ever-increasing dominance (Anderson 13).

George Frederick Handel was a baroque composer and was born in Halle, Germany in on February 23, 1685. He later died April 14, 1759 in London, England. His father did not want him to pursue his career in music. Handel’s father didn’t even allow him to own a musical instrument. But his mother helped and supported him. He practiced secret because of his mother’s support. He was later given the chance as a young boy to play the organ for the duke’s court in Weissenfels. In Weissenfels he met Frideric Wilhelm Zachow an organist and composer. Zachow was impressed with his ability and Handel became a pupil of his. Zachow taught him the organ, violin, oboe, and helped with composition. Handel began to compose music at the young age of 10. He composed

George Frideric Handel made an incredible impact on several other well known musical composers. “He has generally been accorded high esteem by fellow composers, both in his own time and since. Bach apparently stated, “ He is the only person I would wish to see before I die, and the only person I would wish to be, were I not Bach.” Mozart is reputed to have said of him, “Handel understands effect better than any of us. When he chooses, he strikes like a thunder bolt,” and to Beethoven he was “the master of us all…the greatest composer that ever lived. I would uncover my head and kneel before his tomb.” (Classic Cat, Legacy)

Parker altered the rhythmic and harmonic currents of music, and he produced a body of melodies- or more to the point, a way of melodic thinking- that became closely identified with the idea of jazz as a personal and intellectual modern music. (4)

In 1710 when Handel traveled to Hanover, Germany, he soon became the director of the choir for George Louis who at that time was the Elector. In turn, the Elector sent Handel venturing to England to keep an eye out on the terrain and learn about the popular musicals in London, check out the political scenes, and keep a close eyes on the social acts that played out in London. Handel’s duty was to report back to George Louis and relay the information

George Frederick Handel, better known by just his surname, Handel, was born on February 23, 1685 to Georg Handel and Dorothea Taust. He was born in Hall, Duchy of Magdeburg, where his father worked as a widely popular barber-surgeon. Handel's father had high hopes for Handel to Study Civil law and was frightened when he started to notice Handel's infatuation with music, so much so that for a while, He forbid Handel to have any dealings with musical instruments.

Johann Sebastian Bach once said, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” It is known that Bach is classified as a musical genius who served the Lord, but how did his music influence later musicians? His prodigious talents discovered during his early childhood brought him much success throughout the Baroque Era allowing him to write over one thousand compositions. An exploration of his youth, his trials and struggles, and writing techniques will help outsiders gain a better understanding of the magnificent mind of J.S. Bach.

Over time, the world has seen many outstanding musicians, and so much fantastic music. Each highly remembered composer or musician changed the way we think and see the world. They give us new ideas, and music is a wonderful way to convey moods and emotions. Each also slightly changed music itself. Handel was one of the greatest of these people. He was a superior composer who largely influenced and expanded music.

In conclusion, there is interest and boredom. There is gravity and levity. There is wonder and amusement. And there is power. Handel and Bach. Bach and Handel. When you think of these two in the same light, you can plainly see that great chasm of contradictions spanning the void between them. However, you can also see a bridge settled over the huge expanse. The bridge connects the two and portrays the middle ground. The treaty. The agreement. The oath to be taken by those who love music. They are different, yet alike in many

The Baroque chamber orchestra, a type of ensemble today that can vary greatly from group to group, is involved in a type of performance many musicians remain confused about. For a modern musician, the confusion surrounding the Baroque style stems from a notion that spending time learning a style of instrument that is no longer commonplace is something that is not worthwhile or is even detrimental to a modern instrumental career. Much of this stems from the idea that the romantic era of music is the most valid and academic form of music studied and performed. This has to do with the intense exposure that classically trained musicians are given in the field of romantic and modern era music.