The Legacy of George Frideric Handel

A giant of Baroque music

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) was not a one-hit wonder. However, one of his hits is of such towering importance, and represents such a huge proportion of his legacy, that it deserves far more attention than anything else. But before considering The Messiah, let’s have a look at what else he has left us.

Handel was one of the three baroque greats who lived virtually parallel lives in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the other two being Bach and Vivaldi. Handel had already achieved considerable fame as a composer of operas and sacred works before he left the court of the Elector of Hanover to settle in England in 1712. When the Elector became King George I in 1714, Handel was able to resume his duties as master of the king’s music.

One product of these duties was the Water Music suite, a set of dance movements composed for a royal function on the River Thames in 1717. Handel and his 50 musicians sailed with the king from Whitehall to Chelsea and back, playing as they went. The king liked the music so much that he asked for the whole lot to be played three times. The event lasted well into the night, and it was nearly dawn before the exhausted players were allowed ashore.

Coupled with the Water Music, in considering Handel’s legacy, will always be the…