Composer Study: Handel
Resources
Recommended Listening
Royal Fireworks Music - Handel wrote this wonderful music to be performed in London as fireworks were displayed over the river. It must have been a spectacular sight to behold! This performance is with period instruments (replicas of the actual instruments of the baroque period.)
Organ Concerto, Op. 4, No. 4 — ‘Concerto’ refers to a piece of music for orchestra and one or more soloists. In this case the solo instrument is the organ.
Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 1 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAvFbMCpGDo This time there are several solo instruments, hence the name Concerto Grosso, because this literally means ‘big concerto’.
Trio Sonata for 2 oboes and continuo in A Major — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM8Pvor_rBw Handel wrote a lot of lovely chamber music as well!
Messiah (complete oratorio, high-definition video) - This performance was filmed in Cambridge, with a wonderful baroque orchestra. You can listen to all of it, or just your favorite parts!
Recommended Reading and Listening
Young Children
