Domenico Scarlatti was born on this day in 1685 in Italy. He was a contemporary of Bach and Handel, both of whom were born in the same year in Germany.
Scarlatti is perhaps most well known for his over 550 keyboard sonatas. They were originally written probably for harpsichord, but now tend to be played just as much on the piano. They largely follow a simple two-section pattern, each with a repeat, and tend to be short - usually 5 minutes or less. They are delightful little gems. Many are extremely beautiful and profound, and can be extremely challenging to play.
The great Vladimir Horowitz played lots of Scarlatti, especially near the end of his life. Here he is at a ripe old age of 82:
- Sonata in E Major, L. 224, showing off a brilliant light touch and lightning fast arpeggios.
- Sonata in B minor, L. 33, expressing an amazing depth of expression and interconnecting melodies and harmonies.
- Sonata in E Major, L. 23, a very common and popular Scarlatti sonata with a very sunny disposition and jaunty rhythm.
Here's an amazing performance by Martha Argerich of the Sonata in D minor, K. 141, a very fast, impressive piece with lots of repeated notes.
Here's a very old recording of the legendary Arturo Benedetti Michaelangeli playing Sonata in B minor flawlessly.
Gyorgy Cziffra was generally known for his romantic music, especially that of Liszt, but here he is playing some impressive Scarlatti, although I must say he alters the character of the pieces in a romantic tradition at times:
Sonata in D Major, K. 96, a technically difficult piece, and Sonata in A Major, K. 101, a more laid back piece, but full of fast parts, too.
Some people transcribe his works for other instruments, such as guitar:
Sonata in D minor, K. 1, a very popular sonata.
Here is the guitar legend, Andres Segovia playing the Sonata in C minor, K. 11 transcribed into D minor for guitar, one of Scarlatti's best.
I'll end with one of his sonatas played on harpsichord, probably as it was originally intended. Here is the fast and relentless Sonata in D minor, K. 517.
Showing posts with label Baroque Period. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baroque Period. Show all posts
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Greatest Composer That Ever Lived
Johann Sebastian Bach was born today in Germany in 1685. I know it's just my opinion, but I think he's the greatest composer of all time. I don't say this lightly. If you've read my previous blogs, you know how much I like the music of so many other composers, especially Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin... and the list goes on.
But if I had to choose only one composer whose music I could listen to for the rest of my life exclusively, I think I'd have to say Johann Sebastian Bach. In fact, when I was young, I went through a phase where I disliked listening to anything else (I think around age 7 to 9). I was in love with the music of Bach and I couldn't get enough, nor did I need any other music. My musical tastes have obviously widened since then, but I still come back to Bach as my "first love" in classical music. I owe this in large part to my oldest brother, who taught me to love Bach when I was very young (thanks, Tim!). I'm doing my best to pass down this love of good music to my beautiful 20-month-old daughter. I have little plastic classical composer statuettes that I gave to her to play with. Her favorite is Bach. She says "Ock! Ock!" and runs and gets the little Bach statuette, then runs over to the CD player and says "Ano! Ano!" Translation: "I want to hear some Bach piano music, please!" Which, of course, means hearing Glenn Gould play, since I mostly have his recordings of Bach.
What do I love so much about the music of this composer? One of my piano teachers said, "Throughout all of Bach's music, there is an inner joy." His music has so much substance, order, and stability. There is also great emotional depth, though the emotion is under control. There is also great intellectual satisfaction from his music. The more you study it, the more you realize how expertly it is put together, and marvel at the symmetry of form. Bach was a master improviser at the keyboard. This plays out in many of his works, where his improvisatory skill leads to so much beauty and diversity.
I'd like to highlight his best. He wrote so much music (over 1000 works), and so much of it is just so good!
For solo keyboard:
OK, so before I list his solo keyboard works, I have to say something about a certain pianist who was very influential in my life, and particularly in regard to my love of the music of Bach. The Canadian pianist Glenn Gould deserves a separate blog entry, but for now, briefly, Glenn was sort of a personal musical hero of mine growing up. He was highly eccentric, yet highly articulate and intellectual. His playing of Bach was out of this world, although sometimes controversial. His impeccable timing and clean playing (where every note can be heard with precision) is stunning. Critics may say this can lead to an overly mechanical sound, but hey, nobody can have it all. I'll be drawing heavily from his playing in the following links.
- The Well-Tempered Clavier (2 books of 24 Preludes and Fugues in every key, both major and minor). This has been called the "Old Testament" for pianists (the "New Testament" being Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas). Here's the Bb minor Fugue from Book II, B Major Prelude and Fugue from Book II
- The Goldberg Variations - perhaps Bach's finest solo keyboard work (in my opinion). It begins with a slow aria, transcendently beautiful in its simplicity, followed by an amazing set of 30 variations. Every 3rd variation (except for the last) is a "canon" (where the melody is repeated exactly, note for note, one measure after the melody begins, and trails the initial melody for the duration of the whole piece). Canons are difficult enough to write and not sound forced, but Bach steps it up a notch. The first canon (3rd variation) is a "traditional" canon (with each note exactly repeated), but each successive canon increases the interval at which the notes are repeated. For example, the second canon (variation 6) is done with an interval of a 2nd, the third canon (variation 9) with an interval of a 3rd, the fourth canon (variation 12) with the interval of a 4th, and so on until variation 27, which has an interval of a 9th. I listened to these variations from the womb, and didn't realize this until I played and studied them in my teens, when I was completely blown away with the symmetry and intellectual depth to the piece. Even if one is completely unaware of all these things, though, this piece remains one of the most uplifting and satisfying works to listen to of all time.
Glenn Gould was sort of responsible for reviving this piece in the mid-20th century. He did the unthinkable and made it his debut recording in 1955. Usually pianists would save little-known, bold, difficult pieces to record when they are well-established and well-loved by critics and the public, but Gould made it his first recording, and pulled it off. Now over 50 years later, this recording still remains a sensation. Before Gould, this piece was played slowly, with all of the repeats (making it last 90 minutes or so). Gould sped through in 38 minutes with no repeats, shedding off the drudgery of previous recordings and catapulting the work into popularity. Gould recorded the piece a second time in 1981, playing it very, very differently. I personally don't like it as much, but it is interesting nonetheless.
Here's the last few variations from Gould's 1981 recording.
- Partitas - here's a great clip of Glenn Gould practicing the opening movement of Partita No. 2 at his home. And here's a later clip of him playing the very feeling opening of Partita No. 6.
- Toccatas - these tend to be more free-form than his other works, with lots of improvisatory material, slow and fast sections alternating, and full of emotion. Here's a fine version of the C minor Toccata, part 1 and part 2.
- Inventions and Sinfonias (2 and 3-part variations) - these are easier pieces to play, often played by young people learning how to play the piano. They are not any less masterful in a capable pianist's hands, though. Here's a very fast-tempo version of the popular Invention 13, and a very beautiful Sinfonia No. 2.
- French Suites - for variety, here's the Gigue of the G major (5th) suite, played on harpsichord, which is probably mostly what Bach intended for his keyboard works to be played on.
- English Suites - here's a clip of one of the more well-known movements of the suites, the Gavotte from the G minor (3rd) suite.
- Art of the Fugue (for organ) - Bach's last work, not quite completely finished. An extremely cerebral work devoted to the fugue form. It is a set of fugues and canons based around one subject, varied in every possible way you could imagine (and more!). Here's Glenn Gould waxing eloquent about the piece. There is a lot of chromaticism in Bach, and in the last fugue (which is not quite finished), there are parts that sound as if they could have been written by a 20th-century composer. The very last subject introduced in the last (unfinished) fugue (there are 4 subjects in that massive fugue alone!), is the note-pattern "b - a - c - h" (b = B-flat in German, and h = B-natural in German). So Bach was signing his name to the work he knew would sum up his life (Gould comments on this in the clip). Here's Gould playing the end of the last fugue until it abruptly breaks off. Bach's last musical words... it's a rather emotional experience to listen to this! Here's the opening fugue played on organ.
For other solo instruments:
- Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin - 6 suites total: the last movement of the 2nd partita is one of Bach's finest works, called "Chaconne" (or "Ciaconna"). Here is composer Johannes Brahms' comments on the work: "On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind." Chaconne was originally written for solo violin, as seen here, part 1 and part 2. The piece has also been transcribed for solo lute/guitar, as heard here. Several composers have made arrangements of it for other instruments, including Brahms' left-hand piano version, and Busoni's very grandiose piano transcription.
- Suites for solo cello - all delightful pieces. The opening movement of Suite No. 1 is a very beautiful introduction to these pieces. The Prelude of Suite No. 5 is a very intensely emotional piece, probably my favorite of them all. Here's a stunning recording of the pieces that I'd highly recommend done by Cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
- Suites for solo lute (guitar) - many great pieces here. I listened to them growing up, as my other older brother played many on the guitar. Some of them were transcribed by Bach from the solo violin or solo cello suites, but they have a very different character on guitar. Here's the opening movement of the E Major suite (originally for violin), played by world-renown guitarist John Williams.
For Orchestra or Ensemble:
- Brandenburg Concertos - 6 concertos written for small- to medium-sized ensembles of instruments. These are some of Bach's most popular, and for good reason. They are all very uplifting, full of highly satisfying melodies and harmonies, and each one features a different (or several different) instruments, with frequent solos. Here's Concerto No. 4, Movement 1, 2, and 3, and here's Concerto No. 5 Movement 1, 2, and 3.
- Orchestral Suites - another high quality set of pieces (4 total), written for large ensemble. Here's the Overture from Suite No. 1, my favorite orchestral suite.
- Keyboard Concertos - Concerto in D minor, 1st movement - another stunning performance by a young Glenn Gould. And here's a concerto for 3 keyboards (played on harpsichords), first movement.
- Violin Concertos - there are several, some of which are the same as the keyboard concertos. One of my favorites is a concerto for violin and oboe - this has some really beautiful melodies and amazing interplay between the two solo instruments. Here's movements 1, 2, and 3. Movement #2 is especially moving (no pun intended).
For Voice/Orchestra:
Bach wrote a lot of music for the church. This is just a brief highlight of some of it. He was a committed Christian, and signed all of his music "Soli Deo Gloria (To God be the Glory)".
- St. Matthew Passion - written to the chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel of Matthew, this focuses on the passion of Christ (his death and suffering). If this piece were in English instead of German, I'd probably listen to it more. Even so, I enjoy the music greatly. One of the themes running throughout, sung by the chorus multiple times, is the same theme used in the Christian hymn "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded". Here is the beautiful common theme running throughout, used for the aforementioned hymn. Here is the opening movement, and the last movement.
- Cantatas - Here's some introductory commentary by Glenn Gould and a performance of Cantata No. 54. Another Cantata includes the famous "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", played here in a beautiful arrangement. Another favorite from the Cantatas is "Sheep May Safely Graze", played here.
This is only a small portion of Bach's wonderful music. He was a man truly gifted by God who wrote beautiful, uplifting music that draws me closer to the One who created him, and Who created all music.
But if I had to choose only one composer whose music I could listen to for the rest of my life exclusively, I think I'd have to say Johann Sebastian Bach. In fact, when I was young, I went through a phase where I disliked listening to anything else (I think around age 7 to 9). I was in love with the music of Bach and I couldn't get enough, nor did I need any other music. My musical tastes have obviously widened since then, but I still come back to Bach as my "first love" in classical music. I owe this in large part to my oldest brother, who taught me to love Bach when I was very young (thanks, Tim!). I'm doing my best to pass down this love of good music to my beautiful 20-month-old daughter. I have little plastic classical composer statuettes that I gave to her to play with. Her favorite is Bach. She says "Ock! Ock!" and runs and gets the little Bach statuette, then runs over to the CD player and says "Ano! Ano!" Translation: "I want to hear some Bach piano music, please!" Which, of course, means hearing Glenn Gould play, since I mostly have his recordings of Bach.
What do I love so much about the music of this composer? One of my piano teachers said, "Throughout all of Bach's music, there is an inner joy." His music has so much substance, order, and stability. There is also great emotional depth, though the emotion is under control. There is also great intellectual satisfaction from his music. The more you study it, the more you realize how expertly it is put together, and marvel at the symmetry of form. Bach was a master improviser at the keyboard. This plays out in many of his works, where his improvisatory skill leads to so much beauty and diversity.
I'd like to highlight his best. He wrote so much music (over 1000 works), and so much of it is just so good!
For solo keyboard:
OK, so before I list his solo keyboard works, I have to say something about a certain pianist who was very influential in my life, and particularly in regard to my love of the music of Bach. The Canadian pianist Glenn Gould deserves a separate blog entry, but for now, briefly, Glenn was sort of a personal musical hero of mine growing up. He was highly eccentric, yet highly articulate and intellectual. His playing of Bach was out of this world, although sometimes controversial. His impeccable timing and clean playing (where every note can be heard with precision) is stunning. Critics may say this can lead to an overly mechanical sound, but hey, nobody can have it all. I'll be drawing heavily from his playing in the following links.
- The Well-Tempered Clavier (2 books of 24 Preludes and Fugues in every key, both major and minor). This has been called the "Old Testament" for pianists (the "New Testament" being Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas). Here's the Bb minor Fugue from Book II, B Major Prelude and Fugue from Book II
- The Goldberg Variations - perhaps Bach's finest solo keyboard work (in my opinion). It begins with a slow aria, transcendently beautiful in its simplicity, followed by an amazing set of 30 variations. Every 3rd variation (except for the last) is a "canon" (where the melody is repeated exactly, note for note, one measure after the melody begins, and trails the initial melody for the duration of the whole piece). Canons are difficult enough to write and not sound forced, but Bach steps it up a notch. The first canon (3rd variation) is a "traditional" canon (with each note exactly repeated), but each successive canon increases the interval at which the notes are repeated. For example, the second canon (variation 6) is done with an interval of a 2nd, the third canon (variation 9) with an interval of a 3rd, the fourth canon (variation 12) with the interval of a 4th, and so on until variation 27, which has an interval of a 9th. I listened to these variations from the womb, and didn't realize this until I played and studied them in my teens, when I was completely blown away with the symmetry and intellectual depth to the piece. Even if one is completely unaware of all these things, though, this piece remains one of the most uplifting and satisfying works to listen to of all time.
Glenn Gould was sort of responsible for reviving this piece in the mid-20th century. He did the unthinkable and made it his debut recording in 1955. Usually pianists would save little-known, bold, difficult pieces to record when they are well-established and well-loved by critics and the public, but Gould made it his first recording, and pulled it off. Now over 50 years later, this recording still remains a sensation. Before Gould, this piece was played slowly, with all of the repeats (making it last 90 minutes or so). Gould sped through in 38 minutes with no repeats, shedding off the drudgery of previous recordings and catapulting the work into popularity. Gould recorded the piece a second time in 1981, playing it very, very differently. I personally don't like it as much, but it is interesting nonetheless.
Here's the last few variations from Gould's 1981 recording.
- Partitas - here's a great clip of Glenn Gould practicing the opening movement of Partita No. 2 at his home. And here's a later clip of him playing the very feeling opening of Partita No. 6.
- Toccatas - these tend to be more free-form than his other works, with lots of improvisatory material, slow and fast sections alternating, and full of emotion. Here's a fine version of the C minor Toccata, part 1 and part 2.
- Inventions and Sinfonias (2 and 3-part variations) - these are easier pieces to play, often played by young people learning how to play the piano. They are not any less masterful in a capable pianist's hands, though. Here's a very fast-tempo version of the popular Invention 13, and a very beautiful Sinfonia No. 2.
- French Suites - for variety, here's the Gigue of the G major (5th) suite, played on harpsichord, which is probably mostly what Bach intended for his keyboard works to be played on.
- English Suites - here's a clip of one of the more well-known movements of the suites, the Gavotte from the G minor (3rd) suite.
- Art of the Fugue (for organ) - Bach's last work, not quite completely finished. An extremely cerebral work devoted to the fugue form. It is a set of fugues and canons based around one subject, varied in every possible way you could imagine (and more!). Here's Glenn Gould waxing eloquent about the piece. There is a lot of chromaticism in Bach, and in the last fugue (which is not quite finished), there are parts that sound as if they could have been written by a 20th-century composer. The very last subject introduced in the last (unfinished) fugue (there are 4 subjects in that massive fugue alone!), is the note-pattern "b - a - c - h" (b = B-flat in German, and h = B-natural in German). So Bach was signing his name to the work he knew would sum up his life (Gould comments on this in the clip). Here's Gould playing the end of the last fugue until it abruptly breaks off. Bach's last musical words... it's a rather emotional experience to listen to this! Here's the opening fugue played on organ.
For other solo instruments:
- Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin - 6 suites total: the last movement of the 2nd partita is one of Bach's finest works, called "Chaconne" (or "Ciaconna"). Here is composer Johannes Brahms' comments on the work: "On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind." Chaconne was originally written for solo violin, as seen here, part 1 and part 2. The piece has also been transcribed for solo lute/guitar, as heard here. Several composers have made arrangements of it for other instruments, including Brahms' left-hand piano version, and Busoni's very grandiose piano transcription.
- Suites for solo cello - all delightful pieces. The opening movement of Suite No. 1 is a very beautiful introduction to these pieces. The Prelude of Suite No. 5 is a very intensely emotional piece, probably my favorite of them all. Here's a stunning recording of the pieces that I'd highly recommend done by Cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
- Suites for solo lute (guitar) - many great pieces here. I listened to them growing up, as my other older brother played many on the guitar. Some of them were transcribed by Bach from the solo violin or solo cello suites, but they have a very different character on guitar. Here's the opening movement of the E Major suite (originally for violin), played by world-renown guitarist John Williams.
For Orchestra or Ensemble:
- Brandenburg Concertos - 6 concertos written for small- to medium-sized ensembles of instruments. These are some of Bach's most popular, and for good reason. They are all very uplifting, full of highly satisfying melodies and harmonies, and each one features a different (or several different) instruments, with frequent solos. Here's Concerto No. 4, Movement 1, 2, and 3, and here's Concerto No. 5 Movement 1, 2, and 3.
- Orchestral Suites - another high quality set of pieces (4 total), written for large ensemble. Here's the Overture from Suite No. 1, my favorite orchestral suite.
- Keyboard Concertos - Concerto in D minor, 1st movement - another stunning performance by a young Glenn Gould. And here's a concerto for 3 keyboards (played on harpsichords), first movement.
- Violin Concertos - there are several, some of which are the same as the keyboard concertos. One of my favorites is a concerto for violin and oboe - this has some really beautiful melodies and amazing interplay between the two solo instruments. Here's movements 1, 2, and 3. Movement #2 is especially moving (no pun intended).
For Voice/Orchestra:
Bach wrote a lot of music for the church. This is just a brief highlight of some of it. He was a committed Christian, and signed all of his music "Soli Deo Gloria (To God be the Glory)".
- St. Matthew Passion - written to the chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel of Matthew, this focuses on the passion of Christ (his death and suffering). If this piece were in English instead of German, I'd probably listen to it more. Even so, I enjoy the music greatly. One of the themes running throughout, sung by the chorus multiple times, is the same theme used in the Christian hymn "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded". Here is the beautiful common theme running throughout, used for the aforementioned hymn. Here is the opening movement, and the last movement.
- Cantatas - Here's some introductory commentary by Glenn Gould and a performance of Cantata No. 54. Another Cantata includes the famous "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", played here in a beautiful arrangement. Another favorite from the Cantatas is "Sheep May Safely Graze", played here.
This is only a small portion of Bach's wonderful music. He was a man truly gifted by God who wrote beautiful, uplifting music that draws me closer to the One who created him, and Who created all music.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Most prolific composer
Today in 1681, Georg Philipp Telemann was born in Germany. While in his day he was more popular than his fellow German, J. S. Bach, nowadays Bach outshadows him. Telemann is credited with being the most prolific composer in all of history, writing apparently over 3000 works.
One of my favorites is his Watermusic (although Handel's Watermusic is far more popular). This recording is especially beautiful and uplifting, played on period instruments and to the tuning of the day, so as to sound as authentic as possible.
He was also known for writing pieces for combinations of instruments. Whoever heard of a concerto for 4 violins (or 4 of anything?). Here is part of that Concerto for 4 violins, but transcribed for 4 guitars. It sounds pretty good on guitar!
One of my favorites is his Watermusic (although Handel's Watermusic is far more popular). This recording is especially beautiful and uplifting, played on period instruments and to the tuning of the day, so as to sound as authentic as possible.
He was also known for writing pieces for combinations of instruments. Whoever heard of a concerto for 4 violins (or 4 of anything?). Here is part of that Concerto for 4 violins, but transcribed for 4 guitars. It sounds pretty good on guitar!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Music for All Seasons
Antonio Vivaldi was born today in Venice in 1678. By far his most popular work of music (and one of the most famous of all Baroque-period compositions) is his "Four Seasons", which are 4 violin concertos, each evocative of the different seasons. These pieces are works of genius, and are delightful to listen to repeatedly. They were apparently written to go with four sonnets, which describe each movement.
These concertos are very special to me. My wife walked down the aisle at our wedding to the 2nd movement of Winter, and we walked out together to the 1st movement of Spring as the recessional.
Another interesting on is the 1st movement of Winter, which sort of sounds like it could be music to a horror film! It depicts the biting cold of winter.
It's difficult for me not to link to a performance of all 12 movements of the 4 concertos, because each one is so special and beautiful in it's own way. Instead, I'll let you buy a recording and enjoy it on your own stereo system at home.
These concertos are very special to me. My wife walked down the aisle at our wedding to the 2nd movement of Winter, and we walked out together to the 1st movement of Spring as the recessional.
Another interesting on is the 1st movement of Winter, which sort of sounds like it could be music to a horror film! It depicts the biting cold of winter.
It's difficult for me not to link to a performance of all 12 movements of the 4 concertos, because each one is so special and beautiful in it's own way. Instead, I'll let you buy a recording and enjoy it on your own stereo system at home.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Music to Heal the Soul
George Frideric Handel was born on this day in 1685. Handel was born in Germany, but lived most of his later life in England. He was born the same year as two other great composers of the Baroque period, J. S. Bach and Domenico Scarlatti.
Handel wrote a huge volume of music, including operas, oratorios, chamber music, harpsichord music, concertos, etc. His most famous work (and one of the most famous works of all music) is his oratorio, Messiah, based on passages from the Bible about Jesus Christ (Yeshua Messiah). The details of how Handel wrote "Messiah" are worth mentioning. The next section is quoted entirely from the book "The Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers". It's long, I know - but well worth reading.
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Audiences for Handel's compositions were unpredictable, and even the Church of England attacked him for what they considered his notorious practice of writing biblical dramas such as "Esther" and "Israel in Egypt" to be performed in secular theatres. His occasional commercial successes soon met with financial disaster, as rival opera companies competed for the ticket holders of London. He drove himself relentlessly to recover from one failure after another, and finally his health began to fail. By 1741 he was swimming in debt. It seemed certain he would land in debtor's prison.
On April 8 of that year, he gave what he considered his farewell concert. Miserably discouraged, he felt forced to retire from public activities at the age of 56. Then two unforeseen events converged to change his life. A wealthy friend, Charles Jennings, gave Handel a libretto based on the life of Christ, taken entirely from the Bible. He also received a commission from a Dublin charity to compose a work for a benefit performance.
Handel set to work composing on August 22 in his little house on Brook Street in London. He grew so absorbed in the work that he rarely left his room, hardly stopping to eat. Within six days Part One was complete. In nine days more he had finished Part Two, and in another six, Part Three. The orchestration was completed in another two days. In all, 260 pages of manuscript were filled in the remarkably short time of 24 days.
Sir Newman Flower, one of Handel's many biographers, summed up the consensus of history: "Considering the immensity of the work, and the short time involved, it will remain, perhaps forever, the greatest feat in the whole history of music composition." Handel's title for the commissioned work was, simply, Messiah.
Handel never left his house for those three weeks. A friend who visited him as he composed found him sobbing with intense emotion. Later, as Handel groped for words to describe what he had experienced, he quoted St. Paul, saying "Whether I was in the body or out of my body when I wrote it I know not."
Messiah premiered on April 13, 1742, as a charitable benefit, raising 400 pounds and freeing 142 men from debtor's prison. A year later, Handel staged it in London. Controversy emanating from the Church of England continued to plague Handel, yet the King of England attended the performance. As the first notes of the triumphant "Hallelujah Chorus" rang out, the king rose. Following royal protocol, the entire audience stood too, initiating a tradition which has lasted for more than two centuries.
Soon after this, Handel's fortunes began to increase dramatically, and his hard-won popularity remained constant until his death. By the end of his long life, Messiah was firmly established in the standard repertoire. Its influence on other composers would be extraordinary. When Haydn later heard the "Hallelujah Chorus", he wept like a child, and exclaimed, "He is the master of us all!"
Handel personally conducted more than thirty performances of Messiah. Many of these concerts were benefits for the Foundling Hospital, of which Handel was a major benefactor. The thousands of pounds Handel's performances of Messiah raised for charity led one biographer to note: "Messiah has fed the hungry, clothed the naked, fostered the orphan...more than any other single musical production in this or any country." Another wrote, "Perhaps the works of no other composer have so largely contributed to the relief of human suffering."
This work has had an uncanny spiritual impact on the lives of its listeners. One writer has stated that Messiah's music and message "has probably done more to convince thousands of mankind that there is a God about us than all the theological works ever written."
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Below are some excerpts of Messiah. I hope it encourages all of you who don't own a recording of it to get one. If you only get one piece of classical music then get this one. The message of this work is one of good news - the best news anyone on this earth could be given. God Himself loves us so much that He came down to earth and became a man, giving up His rights and privileges for a time, giving, teaching, suffering, dying, and then rising again. He took the punishment that all of us deserve, and He offers us eternal life if we believe in Him.
- For unto us a child is born
- Glory to God/Rejoice greatly
- Surely He hath born our griefs/And with His stripes we are healed/All we like sheep have gone astray
- Hallelujah chorus
- Since by man came death
- The trumpet shall sound
I'd recommend this recording of Messiah. It's full of interesting dynamic contrasts, excellent interpretations, and continuo played by the lute instead of the harpsichord, which is unusual but sounds really great.
Another very popular and great work is his "Water Music", 3 suites for a medium-sized ensemble, originally performed for the King and his company as they floated down the Thames river. See an interesting, brief re-enactment of this here. There are so many refreshing, uplifting pieces in these suites, I have to link to a few more:
- Bourree
- Allegro/Andante
- A couple of Menuets and Gigues.
I'd highly recommend this recording of the Water Music, which includes also Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks, another great work of his.
Other works to listen to include:
- Concerti grossi from Op. 3 and Op. 6
- Music for solo keyboard (harpsichord or piano), including the "Harmonious Blacksmith" suite
Handel wrote a huge volume of music, including operas, oratorios, chamber music, harpsichord music, concertos, etc. His most famous work (and one of the most famous works of all music) is his oratorio, Messiah, based on passages from the Bible about Jesus Christ (Yeshua Messiah). The details of how Handel wrote "Messiah" are worth mentioning. The next section is quoted entirely from the book "The Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers". It's long, I know - but well worth reading.
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Audiences for Handel's compositions were unpredictable, and even the Church of England attacked him for what they considered his notorious practice of writing biblical dramas such as "Esther" and "Israel in Egypt" to be performed in secular theatres. His occasional commercial successes soon met with financial disaster, as rival opera companies competed for the ticket holders of London. He drove himself relentlessly to recover from one failure after another, and finally his health began to fail. By 1741 he was swimming in debt. It seemed certain he would land in debtor's prison.
On April 8 of that year, he gave what he considered his farewell concert. Miserably discouraged, he felt forced to retire from public activities at the age of 56. Then two unforeseen events converged to change his life. A wealthy friend, Charles Jennings, gave Handel a libretto based on the life of Christ, taken entirely from the Bible. He also received a commission from a Dublin charity to compose a work for a benefit performance.
Handel set to work composing on August 22 in his little house on Brook Street in London. He grew so absorbed in the work that he rarely left his room, hardly stopping to eat. Within six days Part One was complete. In nine days more he had finished Part Two, and in another six, Part Three. The orchestration was completed in another two days. In all, 260 pages of manuscript were filled in the remarkably short time of 24 days.
Sir Newman Flower, one of Handel's many biographers, summed up the consensus of history: "Considering the immensity of the work, and the short time involved, it will remain, perhaps forever, the greatest feat in the whole history of music composition." Handel's title for the commissioned work was, simply, Messiah.
Handel never left his house for those three weeks. A friend who visited him as he composed found him sobbing with intense emotion. Later, as Handel groped for words to describe what he had experienced, he quoted St. Paul, saying "Whether I was in the body or out of my body when I wrote it I know not."
Messiah premiered on April 13, 1742, as a charitable benefit, raising 400 pounds and freeing 142 men from debtor's prison. A year later, Handel staged it in London. Controversy emanating from the Church of England continued to plague Handel, yet the King of England attended the performance. As the first notes of the triumphant "Hallelujah Chorus" rang out, the king rose. Following royal protocol, the entire audience stood too, initiating a tradition which has lasted for more than two centuries.
Soon after this, Handel's fortunes began to increase dramatically, and his hard-won popularity remained constant until his death. By the end of his long life, Messiah was firmly established in the standard repertoire. Its influence on other composers would be extraordinary. When Haydn later heard the "Hallelujah Chorus", he wept like a child, and exclaimed, "He is the master of us all!"
Handel personally conducted more than thirty performances of Messiah. Many of these concerts were benefits for the Foundling Hospital, of which Handel was a major benefactor. The thousands of pounds Handel's performances of Messiah raised for charity led one biographer to note: "Messiah has fed the hungry, clothed the naked, fostered the orphan...more than any other single musical production in this or any country." Another wrote, "Perhaps the works of no other composer have so largely contributed to the relief of human suffering."
This work has had an uncanny spiritual impact on the lives of its listeners. One writer has stated that Messiah's music and message "has probably done more to convince thousands of mankind that there is a God about us than all the theological works ever written."
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Below are some excerpts of Messiah. I hope it encourages all of you who don't own a recording of it to get one. If you only get one piece of classical music then get this one. The message of this work is one of good news - the best news anyone on this earth could be given. God Himself loves us so much that He came down to earth and became a man, giving up His rights and privileges for a time, giving, teaching, suffering, dying, and then rising again. He took the punishment that all of us deserve, and He offers us eternal life if we believe in Him.
- For unto us a child is born
- Glory to God/Rejoice greatly
- Surely He hath born our griefs/And with His stripes we are healed/All we like sheep have gone astray
- Hallelujah chorus
- Since by man came death
- The trumpet shall sound
I'd recommend this recording of Messiah. It's full of interesting dynamic contrasts, excellent interpretations, and continuo played by the lute instead of the harpsichord, which is unusual but sounds really great.
Another very popular and great work is his "Water Music", 3 suites for a medium-sized ensemble, originally performed for the King and his company as they floated down the Thames river. See an interesting, brief re-enactment of this here. There are so many refreshing, uplifting pieces in these suites, I have to link to a few more:
- Bourree
- Allegro/Andante
- A couple of Menuets and Gigues.
I'd highly recommend this recording of the Water Music, which includes also Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks, another great work of his.
Other works to listen to include:
- Concerti grossi from Op. 3 and Op. 6
- Music for solo keyboard (harpsichord or piano), including the "Harmonious Blacksmith" suite
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Italian Baroque Music
The composer Arcangelo Corelli was born today in 1653 in Italy. Corelli was writing music a few decades before J.S. Bach, and had an influence on him. He was a skilled violinist, and supposedly some violinists today can trace their student-teacher-lineage back to Corelli.
Some of his most popular works include the 12 Concerti Grossi from Op. 6, one of which (No. 8) is called the "Christmas Concerto" - listen here to the 1st and 2nd movements, here for the 3rd and 4th movements (the 3rd movement was featured in the movie "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World"), and here for the 5th and 6th movements.
I find his music very refreshing and uplifting - it is very structured and disciplined, yet has rich harmonies, surprising key-changes, and depth of emotion. The Christmas Concerto represents some of the finest orchestral music from the middle Baroque period of classical music - I hope it uplifts you as it does me.
Some of his most popular works include the 12 Concerti Grossi from Op. 6, one of which (No. 8) is called the "Christmas Concerto" - listen here to the 1st and 2nd movements, here for the 3rd and 4th movements (the 3rd movement was featured in the movie "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World"), and here for the 5th and 6th movements.
I find his music very refreshing and uplifting - it is very structured and disciplined, yet has rich harmonies, surprising key-changes, and depth of emotion. The Christmas Concerto represents some of the finest orchestral music from the middle Baroque period of classical music - I hope it uplifts you as it does me.
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