In my last entry, I made the claim that I listen to Handel's music more than the music of any other composer. Why? Because his music is just so beautiful. I hope to answer this question more conclusively over the next couple of weeks, but, for today, I'll let Handel make his own case. Let … Continue reading Interlude: Why Handel?
Baroque Music XI: George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
“Handel is the only person I would wish to see before I die, and the only person I would wish to be, were I not Bach.” J.S. Bach “Handel is the greatest composer that ever lived... I would uncover my head and kneel down on his tomb.” Ludwig van Beethoven The two titans of Baroque … Continue reading Baroque Music XI: George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Interlude: At the side of the road with Dietrich Buxtehude
Next week, we will start more than five months devoted to the twin geniuses of the late Baroque: Handel and Bach. Together (and with a significant assist from Telemann), these two composers wrested the center of musical development away from Italy and planted music's flag stoutly in the German states, where it would remain, more … Continue reading Interlude: At the side of the road with Dietrich Buxtehude
The Scarlatti Conversations
Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas seem curiously out of time. But did they influence subsequent composers? Although some are quick to dismiss Scarlatti as a historical aberration, the facts are quite to the contrary. A collection of the first 30 sonatas were compiled and published in London as Essercizi per gravicembalo. Handel, who Scarlatti had met when … Continue reading The Scarlatti Conversations
Interlude: Symphonies by Numbers
Symphonies by Number. The greatest of all time, ranked by number.
