New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-03
HxNDEL AS A BOY.
oO6en HandeI 6Oos q Boy.

made friends with the musicians. and those
were happy days for the music hungry little
fellow. He allowed 10 go TO rehearsals
and on Sunday after the church service was
taken into the organ loft The organist lifted
him upon the organ bench, and then he showed
what his midnight practising had done for him.
The duke, overhearng his playing, was so i'm
pressed By it that he inquired the name of the
little musician. on being told who he was,
he Immediately sent for Meister Georg and per-
suaded him 10 promise that ne would give his
son a chance 10 develop the remarkable musical
gifts he 50 evidently possessed
eTrue 70 his promise. on his return TO Halle
Meister Georg placed his son under the instruc-
ton Of the chief organist Of the place; but he
had not promised 10 allow him to follow music
as his profession. and still intended 10 make
lawyer q him if he could. Accordingly the
study Of music and Of the various subjects
necessary TO a future law student were carried
on together. Georg Friedrich was quite equal
to this double task, and while his progress in
music delighted the heart of his teacher, his
father was equally pleased by his success in
other studies. When he was seventeen and
still a student at the university, he received an
important position as organist. At the end Of,
a year he resigned this position. gave up law
forever, and. as his father was now dead went
out into the world to seek his fortune.
The first gift which fortune bestowed upon
this young man who afterward 50 famous
was a humble place in the Opera orchestra in
Hamburg where as an associate afterward
said, he acted as If he didn't know how 70
count FIVE" II not long. however, before
he showed the people Of Hamburg that he knew
not only how to count FIVE. but great deal
more besides, and then he travelled TO Italy
where he was soon spoken of the famous
honor
friends in Italy. he found his way at the age
Of twenty-four back through Germany 10 Eng
land, which seems 10 have been just the place
he made for. There he Angcised his
name TO Handel. dropping the German unlaut.
and there. except for a few short visits 20
Germany, he spent the remainder OF his long
life Of over seyenty-four years
It has been said that in Germany one may
often meet people to whom the names Of some
Of the greatest musical seniuses their country
has produced are unknown. hut that it would
be impossible 10 find in the most remote part Of
England a man who had never heard Of Handel
1T iTst the great German wrote Italian operas
in England. and these pleased the people we'll
but il when his music set to English
words that ne completely their hearts His
first composition adapted 10 English words was
a Birthday ODE in honor OF Queen Anne. after
whom Annapolis. the capital Of Maryland. was
named. and his most famous one is the oratorio
OF the Messiah" which, il is hoped The Little
Men ard Little Women VIII hear whenever thew
have an opportunity.
Handel died in 1859 when Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart. OF whom the Little Men and Little
Women read IN The Tribune few weeks ago
just beginning TO study music. and # was
because Handel had taught the English peonIe
10 know and to love good music that they were
50 kind TO the little Mozart when he visited
them few years later.