The record-union., 1896-02-14
LIFE OF HANDEL.
An Interesting Lecture on His Career and
Works.
The Great Master and His Character
istics-Lecture by Rev.
DR.. Wendte.

deP' to a large and appreciative audi
ence. He was introduced with COM
plimentary remarks by H. Weinstock.
The speaker held the attention of the
audience closely for over an hour. Mu-
sic, though the earliest of the arts, was
the latest, he said, to be developed.
architecture, poetry, sculpture, paint
ing and most other arts reached their
perfection when music was in its in
fancy.
Music requires for its perfection a
more refined and developed state of
society than the other arts, for it is
the most spiritual of them. Music re-
lates more to the soul, the others more
to the physical, hence it is the most
eleVating of them all. Sculpture and
painting concern individual work. con-
ception and development, but in music
there is capacity for ALL ten, twenty.
thousands can unite their voices in
harmony. The other arts address the
more material senses; this addresses
the spiritual in u.s.
Spencer says the time will come when
all mankind will be able to use music
to express the finer emotions-and it
may be. The rich, those capacitated to
do it may gather the finest breeds of
horses, may establish great works, but
they may be forgotten. He who uses
his wealth. as has one in Boston, to
found and maintain school of music,
or q body of musical character that ad-
dresses the higher emotions, leaves that
which will forever keep him in memory.
There are three things that deter
mine men in their development: ID
Natural endowments; CD environment
into which born; (3) Volition-the ex-
tent to which the man brings his abil-
tiles to bear upon himself so as to make
the most of himself and his natural
endowments. Handel was one of the
great heroic characters in the music
history of the world, and these three
things so combined in him as to develop
his powers and make him what he was,
and enable him to enrich mankind by
his genius. He was born in Germany
in 1856. His father was a barber and
surgeon. From him he inherited his
strength of will, his indomitable per-
severance, his irritable temper, his con-
centration and persistence; from his
mother he inherited his artistic temper
ament, his wit and his good hearted
ness.
His father intended him for the law,
but almost in infancy he developed a
love for music, and, while a mere child,
managed to smuggle an old spinnet to
the garret, and there poured out. his
soul over it's ill-tuned and rasping
strings, which were so weak that, for
tunately for him, they could not be
heard on the lower floors.
On Sundays he reveled in delights as
he sat in church and listened to the or
gan, and he was in raptures when the
organist permitted him to climb to the
throne of the instrument and try his
boyish fingers on its keys. This or
ganist offered to teach him without
charge, but the good old doctor would
not have it, and he was driven from his
pleasure and study. His father being
called to the court town, he refused to
take the boy, who followed on foot,
overlook the slow going vehicle in
which his parent rode and thus forced
himself upon him, and arrived where
he was permitted to hear and to play
upon the court chapel organ. The
reigning Duke hearing him, spoke to the
father OF the boys wonderful genius
and offered to foster it, but the doctor
revolted, for music was not so reputable
and desirable following then as now.
However, on the return home the boy
was gratified by being placed under the
best organist of the town, where he
studied thoroughly, as they did in those
days, for three hard years, surprising
all who knew him by his marvellous de-
velopment. He was given theme upon
which to write musical composition.
and this was his first great triumph,
and led to his master not infrequentIy
yieldingfhis place to him at the organ in
church service.
At IL he was taken by this master.
Wilhelm Zachau of Halle, to Berlin and
presented to the Elector, Frederick, who
was delighted with the lad, and he be-
came the center of attraction in that
court. At that court he was so fortunate
as to meet great masters in music of
the Italian school, the brothers Bonon-
cini and the composer Attilio. It was a
new world of harmony to which they
introduced him, and it had a wonderful
influence in developing his finer
tastes.
After time he returned to Halle,
after put upon him burdens and duties
not anticipated, but in time he was sent
to Hamburg, after having served as
chief organist in Halle and ASTONISHING g
all who knew of him by his ability upon
instruments and in composition. In
Hanover and Hamburg he met great
German and Italian masters, and be-
came attached to Keiser of Hamburg,
the foremost composer of Germany of
his day, and by him was installed as
second violinist in his orchestra. 1t
was not long before opportunity offered
for him to fill the leaders seat, where
his ability astonished all hearers.
In Hamburg he composed his first
oratcrio and his first opera He be-
came the fast friend of Mattheson, the
operatic composer, and presided when
the latter's Cleopatra was produced,
but refusing to yield the baton when
AIattheson came off the stage to conduct
the opera, a quarrel and an inpromptu
duel ensued, and Handel barely escaped
with his life. But their friendship was
soon recemented and Handel resumed
his compositions.
His Nero was written at this time,
and was a great advance beyond any
thing then known in German compost
tion. He saved his money to realize
his great desire to visit italy. tt was
soon gratified, and in s110S he set out
visiting Venice, Naples. Florence and
Rome, absorbing, studying, enlarging
al! the while In Rome he awakened
profound surprise and became the fast
friend Of the first masters. He was
still mere youth. but he composed
with still greater fiuency, but operas
were forbidden production and he con-
fired himself mainly to oratorios- The
Roman Church authorities en-
deavored to convert him and attach
Kim 10 tie church but he stIIrdiIY re-