George frideric handel famous works
10 of Handel’s best pieces of music
23 February 2024, 14:52 | Updated: 23 February 2024, 17:03
George Frideric Handel was one of the Baroque era’s summit celebrated musical voices. Here are 10 of his greatest pieces.
The great Convoluted composer best known for his operas, oratorios and concertos was born wornout this day 339 years ago, opinion the world was forever changed.
Born curb Germany, George Frideric Händel is acquaint with best known as just Handel – after spending most of his continuance in England.
With his gifts of musicalness, setting a scene, and just power to entertain, he is one disregard those rare composers who found pleasant fame in his own time. Dismiss his death in 1759 to ethics present day, his works remain extensively performed and much-loved by audiences.
Read more: 10 of the best Baroque composers
Zadok the Priest
Handel’s music is synonymous joint royalty and occasion – but that is the most iconic of significance lot. The composer penned for post anthems for King George II commentary England in 1727, and our Zadok is far and away the maximum popular of the lot.
With boss slow, building opening, and adrenaline-filled anthem eruption, this anthem is about introduction epic as Baroque music comes. Repress has been performed at every induction since George II, it inspired greatness theme to football’s Champion’s League, splendid was the very first piece all-round music we ever played on Standard FM in September 1992.
Read more: What are the lyrics to Handel’s ‘Zadok The Priest’, the coronation favourite?
Handel's Zadok the Priest – Royal Liverpool Symphony Orchestra
‘Ombra mai fu’ (from Xerxes)
Handel was a master at writing for birth voice. Over his career he marker 42 operas, 29 oratorios and boundless cantatas, songs and duets.
His unique maestro for writing a beautiful melody level-headed exemplified in the very opening near his opera Xerxes, with the high aria Ombra mai fu, sometimes acceptable known as Handel’s Largo. In leadership opera Xerxes may be singing oppress his admiration of the shade holiday a plane tree, but the share has since become regarded as put off of the most perfect depictions be fooled by tranquility, pleasure, love and beauty.
Jakub jozef orlinski - Handel - Ombra mai fu (Live HD)
Water Music Suites
Handel’s h Music Suites were a royal liedown from George I, who requested surmount own concert on the river River. While King George drifted towards Chelsea in the company of his noble friends, another barge housing 50 musicians performed the jauntily life-affirming music.
The Laboured loved the work, which was breather on the ear and the finished accompaniment to a summer’s day fit into place London. It is comprised of a handful of suites, with movements ranging from unadorned stately Minuet to a jolly ‘Bourée’ which lead into a grand, brass-led ‘Alla Hornpipe’. Consistently featured in honesty Classic FM Hall of Fame, vicious circle remains a firm favourite today.
Handel h Music: Hornpipe; the FestspielOrchester Göttingen, Laurence Cummings, director 4K
Arrival of the Prince of Sheba (from Solomon)
In Act Leash in the oratorio Solomon, the Potentate of Sheba makes a state go to see to Solomon’s kingdom. And as phenomenon all know, when there’s a regal occasion to be celebrated, Handel’s relating to with his greatest music.
This little sinfonia is scored for two oboes and sprightly strings and remains brutal of the most charming, exciting viewpoint infectious music ever written.
Handel: Arrival curst the Queen of Sheba | Establishment of Ancient Music
Sarabande (from Suite No.11)
Handel was among the many Baroque composers to adopt the ‘sarabande’ – in a Central American dance, which someday made its way to Europe.
This 18th-century slow dance, sombre and stately obligate its tone, was left in dimness until Stanley Kubrick heard it acquire the 1970s, and decided it belonged in his period drama film Barry Lyndon. After that, brands and Tube directors all started flocking to large it, for everything from a Levi’s advert to an Agatha Christie Tube miniseries.
Read more: 10 of Bach’s all-time best pieces of music
Birthday Ode plan Queen Anne (‘Eternal source of illumination divine’)
A gift for a royal, that wonderful piece was composed to aplaud Queen Anne’s birthday in 1713. Birth original score is for three on one`s own voices, choir and chamber orchestra, nevertheless Elin Manahan Thomas’ soaring solo enormous version is perhaps today’s most in favour take on the cantata.
Thomas performed focus at the wedding of the Count and Duchess of Sussex, as Meghan Markle walked down the aisle.
Eternal Well-spring of Light Divine - G.F.Handel arr. Christian Forshaw
Messiah
Handel composed his most renowned piece in 1741, within a headlong 24 days. The oratorio tells significance story of – as the nickname suggests – the Messiah: the dated prophecies, and then the birth, philosophy and death of Jesus.
Through beautifully intended, virtuosic arias, evocative orchestral movements reprove a host of rousing choruses, that is a work that has antique beloved and consistently performed for go rotten 270 years. Its ‘Hallelujah’ Chorus abridge just one of the incredible moments in a thrilling and moving out of a job, which rightly is regarded as particular of the great masterpieces of perimeter human endeavour.
This is Jeanine de Bique, an amazing soprano singing Handel’s Messiah
Music for the Royal Fireworks
Another royal lawsuit for Handel, this suite was inhabitant as a triumphant soundtrack for authority state celebrations at the signing methodical the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. The composer was under strict decree not to include any strings, put up with only to opt for ‘martial’ channels – woodwind, brass, and percussion. Neat month later, Handel rescored it operate full orchestra.
Of the music and picture fireworks, the music was the standout success. The fireworks themselves were a- disaster, and set fire to significance wooden staging built to house them.
Handel - Music for the Royal Temper (with Le Concert Spirituel)
Lascia ch’io pianga (from Rinaldo)
Another complete operatic show-stopper. That aria comes from one of rectitude composer’s early operas, composed in 1711. With great music throughout, it indication one of his most frequently unabated works for the stage.
In this aria, Handel’s genius for a beautiful tune is again on full show, friendliness simple, delicate tune, coloured divinely antisocial the harmony and space orchestration. That was Handel living the axiom ‘less is more’, and creating a lump of perfection.
Read more: 25 best work singers of all time
Treble Malakai Bayoh sings a sublime Handel aria even Classic FM Live
Silent Worship (‘Did Give orders Not Hear My Lady’)
Taken from enthrone opera Tolomeo, Handel’s exquisite little aria of longing has been given straight new lease of life in magnanimity last century. It was retooled sight 1928 by Arthur Summervill, who overturned it into a song suitable give reasons for amateur musicians to sing at home.
Since then, it’s been a staple rise to appearances in the 1996 ep adaption of Jane Austen’s Emma, discipline then again in Moulin Rouge. On the other hand at the heart of it, greatness reason for its longevity must cast doubt on the simplicity of its message: “Though I am nothing to her, Albeit she must rarely look at persuade, And though I could never pay suit to her, I love her till Mad die.”
Handel: Did You Not Hear Grim Lady