Handel: Concerti Grossi Op. 6, Nos. 8, 10 And 12

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Cat No: 8550158

Release Date: 12 January 2000

Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 4891030501584

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: HANDEL

Description
George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759) Concerto Grosso in C minor Opus 6 No.8 Concerto Grosso in D minor Opus 6 No.10 Concerto Grosso in B minor Opus 6 No.12 Concerto Grosso in C major (Alexander'sFeast)George Frideric Handel was born in Hallein 1685, the son of an elderly barber-surgeon of some distinction and hissecond wife. Destined by his father for a career of greater distinction thanmusic seemed able to provide, he was permitted to study music only through theintervention of the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels, at whose court his father served,and after his father's death proceeded briefly to the University of Halle.After combining the study of law with a position as organist in the Calvinistcathedral for a year, he abandoned further study in 1703 to work as a musicianin Hamburg, where he played second violin in the opera orchestra, later takinghis place as harpsichordist and writing his first Italian operas, which wereproduced in February, 1705.A meeting with Prince Ferdinando de'Medici, heir to the Grand Duke of Florence, led to an invitation to Italy,where Handel moved in 1706, remaining there until 1710 and winning for himselfan increasing reputation as a keyboard-player and as a composer, although toCorelli, in Rome, his style appeared to be too French. Nevertheless it wasItaly that decisively influenced his musical language and as a composer ofItalian opera that he was to make his earlier career in England.Handel had spent time in various citiesin Italy and in Venice had met Baron Kielmansegge, Master of Horse to theElector of Hanover, and members of the ruling family. It was through theBaron's agency that he was appointed Kapellmeister to the Elector, anappointment that he took up in the summer of 1710, stipulating immediate leaveto visit England, where he provided the music for Aaron Hill's ambitious opera Rinaldo,mounted at the then Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket, and the subject ofsatirical comment from Addison and Steele in The Spectator. The following yearhe returned to Hanover, where he remained for fifteen months before permissionwas given once more for a visit to England. From 1712 he was to settlepermanently there.Handel was, of course, a composer ofconsiderable versatility. He had already written a large amount of music of allkinds. In London he was associated immediately with the Italian opera and underroyal patronage wrote music for the court and for the church, quickly learningfrom the work of Purcell something of the English church style. The death ofQueen Anne and the succession of the Elector of Hanover to the English throneas George I might have caused some embarrassment, since Handel was stillnominally the Elector's Kapellmeister, absent without leave. He was, however,to enjoy the new king's favour soon enough, proof, if any were needed, of theapocryphal nature of the story about the Water Music, through which it wasalleged King and Kapellmeister were reconciled.Handel was to enjoy extraordinarypopularity in England, where
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