George Frideric Handel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German–English
Baroque composer who is famous for his
operas,
oratorios and
concerti grossi. Handel's compositions include 42 operas; 29 oratorios; more than 120
cantatas,
trio and
duet; numerous
arias;
chamber music; a large number of ecumenical pieces;
odes and
serenata; and 16 organ
concerti. His oratoria
Messiah, with its "Hallelujah" chorus, is among the most famous works of classical music and is a popular choice for performances in the Christmas season. Among Handel's best-known instrumental works are the
Concerti Grossi Opus 3 and 6; "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale", in which birds are heard calling during passages played in different keys representing the vocal ranges of two birds; and his 16 keyboard suites, especially
The Harmonious Blacksmith.
Collected editions of Handel's works include the
Händel-Gesellschaft (HG) and the
Hallische Händel-Ausgabe (HHA), however the more recent
Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis (HWV) publication is now commonly used to number his works. For example, Handel's
Messiah can be referred to as: HG xlv, HHA i/17, or HWV 56. Some of Handel's music is also numbered based on initial publications, for example a 1741 publication by
Walsh labelled twelve of Handel's concerti grossi as
Opus 6.
Operas
All works are
opera seria in three acts, unless otherwise stated.
Incidental music
Oratorios
Odes and masques
Cantatas
Italian......
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