Handel in Italy

Italy - the place to be

At the beginning of the 18th century, Italy was a popular destination for educated people and art lovers. Italy was the land of belcanto, a place where opera, oratorio and chamber cantata were born. It was the home of instrumental virtuosity, great violin masters, a place where composers created some of the most significant instrumental forms, such as solo concerto and sonata. Every musician who wanted to develop its creative potentials went to study in Italy or copied the works of great Italian masters. Let's not forget great Bach himself copied Vivaldi's concertos. Young and talented Georg Friedrich Hӓndel decided to shape his personal style in a country that had several prestigious music centers - Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice and Naples. This proved to be very important for him as a composer.

Hӓndel discovered his individual style as being a synthesis of German and Italian elements. Thanks to the support of wealthy nobles and church dignitaries in Italy, he was able to write a large number of works, in which he honed his craft as a composer and prepared himself for composing operas and oratorios without which we cannot imagine the world of classical music today. 

George Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)

Caro Sassone

Although Hӓndel's father wanted his son to be a lawyer, young musician showed exceptional talent from a young age and therefore greater interest in the arts. Seeing that young Georg possessed extraordinary potential, his father allowed him to study composition and music theory with Friedrich Wilhelm Zachau, a church organist in his native Halle. In addition, Hӓndel learned to play several instruments, such as harpsichord, organ, violin and oboe. Although he started studying law in Halle, Hӓndel also received a position as a church organist and soon decided to devote himself completely to music. In 1703 he went to Hamburg where he began working as a violinist at the opera house. Having already made contacts with the Medici family, he then headed to Italy at the end of 1706, where he would soon become a well-educated and confident master of almost every genre. 

Hӓndel's popularity in Italy is evidenced by the fact that at the very end of that three-year period, before his departure to England, his opera Agrippina was successfully presented to Italian audience. On that occasion a flattering sentence echoed within the walls of the theater - "Viva il caro Sassone!". The opera premiered at the San Giovanni Grisostomo in Venice and after the premiere it run for 27 nights in a row. 

Meeting other musicians

Hӓndel met some of the most prominent representatives of Italian baroque, such as Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti, Archangelo Corelli, Antonio Vivaldi and Tommaso Albinoni. While working in Italy, he earned considerable reputation as an organist and harpsichordist. According to an anecdote, there was a contest between a Hӓndel and Domenico Scarlatti. The conclusion was that they were both equally skilled as harpsichordists, but Hӓndel was a superior organ performer. Notwithstanding this little musical duel, the two artists have developed a deep respect for each other. 

Handel and the Roman Cardinals

Hӓndel spent most of his time in Rome composing sacred and secular music commissioned by high-ranking church dignitaries. During winter months and carnivals, he went to major Italian opera centers - Venice and Florence. Thanks to his excellent performing skills, Hӓndel drew the attention of prominent figures in the high social circles of Rome and acquired loyal patrons who commissioned sacred and secular works from him. Cardinals Benedetto Pamphili, Pietro Ottoboni and Carlo Colona were all Hӓndel's patrons.

Cardinal Pamphili was particularly fond of music. He wrote libretti for operas and helped other composers. Famous baroque artists such as Archangelo Corelli, Alessandro Melani or Carlo Francesco Cesarini developed their careers thanks to this great patron of the arts. A special friendship developed between him and Hӓndel. German composer dedicated several cantatas to his patron, as well as the oratorio Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno.

Cardinal Ottoboni was one of the greatest patrons of his time. His protégés included the greats of the Italian Baroque - Archangelo Corelli, Alesandro Scarlatti, Antonio Caldara and Antonio Vivaldi. On Monday, he hosted concerts (the so-called academies) at his residence. In addition to musicians, Ottoboni helped artists from other fields, such as the architect Giovanni Battista Vaccharini or painters Sebastiano Conca and Francesco Trevisani.

At that time, operatic performances were banned in Rome, so composers turned to sacred and secular works, in which, quite interestingly, they made extensive use of typical operatic manners. Not only were the vocal writing and expression in the spirit of belcanto, but those compositions were sumptuously staged as if they were dramatic works. A good example of a distinctly virtuoso operatic style applied to the genre of sacred music can be seen in the aria Disserratevi, o porte d'Averno from Hӓndel's oratorio The Resurrection. This work was commissioned by Marquis Francesco Maria Ruspoli. It was performed in a magnificent staging in Ruspoli's home in 1708. He was one of the most important patrons in Rome and it was he who was responsible for the creation and performance of most of the composer's works from that period.

Marquis Ruspoli and Accademia degli Arcadi

In addition to affluent cardinals who were inclined to music, Hӓndel found support for his work in Marquis Francesco Maria Ruspoli. He formed part of a society Accademia degli Arcadi which brought together nobles, church dignitaries, writers and musicians. During regular weekly meetings, known as conversazioni, where they would discuss various topics, concerts were also held. Many of Hӓndel 's works were performed during those meetings. Numerous chamber cantatas for one or more voices with instrumental accompaniment were composed for such occasions. Among the members of this society was the noblewoman Aurora Sanseverino, who remained known in history as a great patron of the arts and an organizer of the salon at her home in Naples. Hӓndel composed the serenade Aci, Galatea, and Polifemo after her commission.

This period in Hӓndel's life was obviously very important, since he could perfect his style writing music for his patrons. This is how he prepared for future engagements in England. Even in his later works he "recycled" some of his music written during his stay in Italy.