George Frideric Handel’s Messiah
George Frideric Handel’s Messiah
George Frideric Handel’s Messiah Lyrics:
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given,
and the government shall be upon His shoulder;
and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace
(Isaiah 9:6)
Messiah: The History & Roots of the Life of George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel’s Messiah
Messiah is among the most famous oratorios in history. Composed by George Frideric Handel in 1741, this masterpiece was inspired by the Word of God. The words of Messiah are taken directly from the Holy Bible. Isaiah 9:6 says: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
George Frideric Handel: Humble Beginnings
George Frideric Handel was born in Germany on February 23, 1685. He was the son of George and Dorthea Handel. The family lived in the city of Halle in the eastern part of Germany. George Frideric Handels father, George Handel was a surgeon in his hometown who was famous for successfully removing a dagger from a boy’s abdomen.
You Will Become a Lawyer
His father was loving but he was also a strict man that wanted his son to become a lawyer. He believed a life of law would suit his son well, provide financial security and give him opportunities to help other people in need.
He cringed at the idea of George Frideric studying music and becoming a musician. George Handel was adamant in his beliefs that if his son pursued music, he would live a penniless life. In fact, he told George Frideric “I would rather that each of your fingers were cut off than for you to become a musician.”
The Fiery Furnace
In addition, one Sunday morning before church, when George was just 7 years old, he watched in horror as his father burned all of his “musical toys” in the fireplace. Sadly, this included musical sheets written by young George.
Unbeknown to his father, George’s clavichord was spared from the fiery furnace. To Georges delight, a small flicker of hope remained for a musical future. He prayed and prayed to Almighty God for his father to change his mind. Young George could not keep his heart and mind off music, it was as if a true calling had been assigned to him.
In secret, he practiced his clavichord until one day his father caught him red handed. Yikes! As you can imagine his father was very angry. Again, young George was instructed to listen to his father and stop the musical shenanigans.
Three Georges: George Handel, George Frideric Handel and George Christian Handel
One day George’s father was traveling south to Weissenfels to visit one of his other sons, George Christian Handel, who worked for the Duke of Weissenfels. George Frideric wanted very much to go with him, so he chased the carriage on foot! It was a muddy day, but despite that he managed to catch up to his father.
George Frideric Handel: The Talented Musician
When they finally arrived in Weissenfels, the duke requested young George to play the clavichord. Interestingly enough, the duke had previously received word from Handel’s hometown church organist revealing young George to be a very talented musician.
Upon hearing the musically inclined 8-year-old, the duke was impressed and made arrangements for George Frideric Handel to perform on the church organ for the congregation. The crowd went wild!
The Gift of Music:
God had given George Frideric Handel a gift.
What else was there to discuss? The talent was undeniable and the duke of Weiseenfels was insistent, young George was to take music lessons to further his talents. To the astonishment and delight of many, his father took a huge gulp and against all odds he finally agreed.
“Well, I Guess the Son of My Old Age Will be a Musician”
On the trip back home to Halle, George Handel told his son George Frideric, “God has spoken, you are destined to be a musician just as Martin Luther was destined to be a reformer. I shall arrange for you to study under Herr Zachow.”
This was great news, but it didn’t mean that it was going to be easy. Struggles lay ahead in wait.
Music Lessons
Music lessons commenced with Friedrich Wilhem Zachow. There was so much to learn and not a second to waste! Zachow taught the history of music, harmony, counterpoint and so much more. Lessons were held in church using the church organ. George Frideric was a very good student, in truth, he wanted to learn everything he possibly could about music.
George Frideric Handels Trip to the Royal Palace:
The wife of the future king of Germany, Sophia Charlotte loved music. She wrote a letter to George Handel requesting his son, George Frideric Handel to come to Berlin to play the clavichord in the Royal Palace. George Handel was very proud of his son and happily sent him to Berlin to perform in the royal court.
George Frideric Handel chose to perform A Mighty Fortress and Away in a Manger for the court. He brought honor to his family through his musical skills and dedication. After this, he was known as “The Celebrated Saxon”
Fun fact: Sophia Charlotte was a descendant of King James I of England. He ordered the translation of the Bible into English in 1611.
Hard Times
George Frideric returned to Halle to attend school. His beloved father was very ill, he sadly passed away at the age of 75. Young George was only 12 at the time. George threw himself into his studies, he was fluent in German, French, Italian, and English.
After George Handel’s death, the family had to work through some tough times. Money was tight without a steady income, but they manage with what little they had to work with. Consequently, mother Dorthea downsized her living quarters and rented the additional space to cover basic living expenses. At age 17, George Frideric Handel entered university, at 18 he secured the position of official organist at Dom-Kirche Church. He received a stipend which relieved financial worries.
What’s the Difference Between a Harpsichord and a Clavichord?
The Harpsichord and the Clavichord are both early keyboard instruments. Both of these musical instruments were popular during the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras. They have many similarities, but they differ in certain aspects as well.
For instance, the harpsichord is the more dazzling of the two while the clavichord holds a more practical purpose.
Clavichords generate music by brass blades pushing up against pairs of strings. This is how the Clavichord produces its subtle sound.
In contrast, the harpsichord generates music by implementing a mechanism that plucks the strings with a plectrum.
Both instruments resemble the modern-day piano.
George Frideric Handel flourished in the Baroque era with his dramatic, dynamic and grandiose style of composition. He used a wide variety of instruments and was a musical titan.
The Best of Friends or Archenemies?
When Johann Mattheson and George Frideric Handel met, they hit it off quick and became fast friends. They had so much in common, both musically talented and willing to help each other in the musical sphere. Everything was going swimmingly until one day when they were working together on a project, a fight ensued. Tempers were hot and raging! Shockingly, this fight led to Mattheson challenging George Frideric Handel to a duel. Both of them angrily agreed to fight to the death! The shameful battle was performed in the midst of a rowdy crowd in Hamburg. They cheered and chanted “Kill him!”.
As you can imagine this whole debacle did not go so well. George Frideric Handel had absolutely no experience with swords. In that moment of uncontrolled passion, he was fueled by hatred and bitterness for his once best friend. Well, all of a sudden George Frideric found himself on the hard ground, sprawled out and the unfortunate recipient of a sword being thrust into his heart.
Mattheson’s sword busted into two. Miraculously, a large brass button shielded Handel’s life against death. The physical fight was over, but the hatred and deep emotions remained. Afterward, the heavy guilt of the whole scenario weighed on George. It was as if his physical heart had indeed been spared but his spiritual heart had been crushed to smithereens.
In the final analysis, Johann and George displayed a very baroque style of combat. The unmitigated drama, profuse emotion and sheer passion erupted like a volcano in the middle of Hamburg.
George Frideric Handel Hard at Work
Life went on, George continued his work writing music as well as giving music lessons to his students. Shortly after, he crossed the Alps to visit Italy. He wanted to learn as much about music as he could. While in Italy he wrote operas, cantatas, and put music to many Biblical Psalms. In addition to visiting, he learned from other musicians and performed for some as well. Due to all the hard work and musical achievements, George was recognized by prominent members of society.
Tragedy
Dorthea Handel, George’s mother had a stroke that left her blind and crippled, she passed away shortly after, leaving George in devastation and grief.
George tried getting back to work to take his mind off losing his mother.
George Frideric Handels Final Years
In conclusion, George Frideric Handel had a life of extreme ups and downs. However, he loved music and spent his whole life pursuing it with his style of grit and tenacity. In addition to experiencing a lot of love, he also experienced a lot of hate. Public opinion can certainly be nasty sometimes and he had his fair share of enemies.
Threatened with debtors’ prison at one of his low points, he somehow kept going forward, working hard on the calling God gave him. George also suffered a stroke that temporarily paralyzed his arm, despite this setback, he regained his health and continued onward. All in all, his music has passed down through generations. As a matter of fact, George Frideric Handel’s Messiah is an all-time favorite and millions of people around the world cherish it every Christmas season and beyond.
Despite all the personal challenges George faced, he was able to break through it and produce beautiful music. His was a life of perseverance in the midst of challenges.
Some of his other pieces of work are Hallelujah Chorus, Esther, Israel in Egypt, Arrival of the Queen of Sheba and many more.
Finally, George wanted to unite all Christians with his music. Not only was he successful in accomplishing this but he did it in the public square. Such is mighty brave and honorable feat in this world. He died on April 13th, 1759. His songs, especially Messiah have turned into tradition, and they serve as sweet melodies to ears and hearts.
Book & Audio Recommendations:
Holy Bible KJV
Composer of Messiah: George Frideric Handel by Charles Ludwig
Wonder Bible
The Tabernacle Choir sounds absolutely lovely singing Messiah! Enjoy every second!
Want to Learn More?
How to put on the Whole Armor of God.
Berta Hummel: Christian Character
Anna Barlett Warner: Christian Character
This is a fasinating read. Thank you for all your research. I always love learning the history behind rich and meaningful music.
That’s great Lori, we are so happy you enjoyed it!
Wow! I never knew this about the composer but that is one of my favorite songs!!
That’s awesome, Rebekah! It’s such a magnificent song that has stood the test of time!
This was a fascinating read! I learned a lot! Thank you for sharing!
You’re very welcome, Maddie!
What a great read! I learned something new today. Thank you for sharing 🙂
You are quite welcome, Dusty!
One of my favorite memories from high school choir was singing Handel’s Messiah! (I also loved doing the Faure Requiem) I got to do the solo for the section about the shepherd’s in the field, and it’s now a core memory. Such a talented composer!
That is so amazing, Lauren. Thank you for sharing such a sweet memory with us!