Handel Quick Facts
- Born: February 23rd, 1685 | Died: April 14th, 1759
- Born in Germany, became a British citizen and was buried in the “Poets’ Corner” of Westminster Abbey.
- Baroque Period Composer.
- Self-taught and had to practice in secret – his father wanted him in the legal profession.
- Over 600 works, including 40 Italian Operas.
- Played organ, violin, and harpsichord.
- Held concerts to raise money for various charities.
- 3 most popular compositions: Messiah, Music for the Royal Fireworks, and Water Music.
- British Kings and Queens loved his music.
- Handel and Bach were born in the same year!
- At age 19, he lived in Italy, wrote Italian operas, and then oratorios
- Oratorio = musical story (usually serious or religious) that is sung by singers and a choir. Like an opera, it tells a story, but there is no acting, costumes, or scenery.
- At age 56, his health started to decline, was in a lot of debt, had few friends, and wrote his most famous oratorio, the Messiah.
- Most famous piece from the Messiah = Hallelujah Chorus = sung by choir, accompanied by orchestra
- Four main singing parts of choir: soprano (highest voices), alto (second-highest voices), tenor (second-lowest voices), bass (lowest voices)
Handel Poster / Handout / Worksheets / Assessments
(See downloads at bottom of page. Each number has a corresponding button.)
1
Hallelujah Chorus Listening Maps
(See downloads at bottom of page. Each number has a corresponding button.)
2
Books
(Click images to purchase.)
YouTube
See also
- Handel Handout, Word Search, Crossword, Assessment (PDF) & PowerPoint
- Hallelujah Chorus Listening Maps
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