| Abstract |
Handel remains one of the unchallenged geniuses of musical history. Yet many revealing and fascinating aspects of his work have been obscured by generations of adulation, prejudice or misinterpretation. The author takes us back to the original Handel, blending the evidence from documents of all kinds with judicious biographical observations as well as a delightful selection of illustrations. The result is a comprehensive and entertaining portrait of the developing character and career of Handel from his early years as a young man in Halle and Hamburg, through his apprenticeship in Italy, to the heyday of opera and oratorio in London. An important chapter, 'Handel and Posterity', traces the progress of the Handel legend down to our own time, and a chronological table by Anthony Hicks outlines major events in the composer's life and musical career. In this revised edition, the author has added a detailed analysis of new insights in to Handel since first publication. |
