April 3 - Music of the Spheres

April 3 – Music of the Spheres

The year 1685 saw the birth of two of two great composers – Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederic Handel. They never met each other, though they were born only one hundred miles from each other and would create some of the most incredible music the world would ever hear.

Bach came from a family of musicians. His father and brother were his teachers. He began his professional career as a violinist, but soon became a church organist. He had twenty children, four of whom also became well known composers.

Bach was a devout Lutheran and inscribed every single one of his works with phrases of praise to God. His compositions were prolific, but many were undiscovered until Felix Mendelssohn discovered them and made them popular in the 1800s. As a church musician, composing music was part of his daily work. He was temperamental and was very confident in his own talent.

Handel’s father was a barber-surgeon who forbade the study of music. This caused him to sneak into the attic at night to practice. His father wanted him to become a lawyer, but was eventually persuaded to allow him to study music. The court at Berlin offered to help Handel in his quest for music education – when his father refused, the pressure continued until he relented.

Another prolific composer, Handel’s earliest works were mainly secular – opera and instrumental pieces. He composed a new opera each season for demanding audiences. He moved to England from Germany. In the summer of 1741, over just 24 days, he wrote the score to the “Messiah.” He borrowed from earlier works of his own and used a libretto written by Charles Jennes. The text is primarily from the Old Testament, the Book of Common Prayer with the words for the “Hallelujah Chorus” coming from Revelation.

Handel died a wealthy man and is buried at Westminster Abbey.