why did handel's father want him to become a lawyer

by Matteo Botsford 6 min read

He learned the organ, harpsichord and violin as well as composition, harmony. Handel’s father did not want him to study music; he wanted him to be a lawyer. Although Handel's father died in 1697, Handel enrolled at the University of Halle

Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg

The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. MLU offers German and international courses leading to academic degrees such as BA, BSc, MA, MSc, do…

in 1703. He studied law for a year because his father wanted him to do so.

Full Answer

What if Handel’s father had had his way?

If Handel’s father had had his way, Handel would have never become a great composer. His father didn’t allow him to play music at home. As a child, Handel had to sneak into the attic of his home to practice the clavichord his mother had smuggled into the home.

Why did Handel go to Law School?

Although Handel's father died in 1697, Handel enrolled at the University of Halle in 1703. He studied law for a year because his father wanted him to do so. After that year, Handel was unhappy studying law.

How did Handel get started in music as a child?

As a child, Handel had to sneak into the attic of his home to practice the clavichord his mother had smuggled into the home. Handel’s father didn’t want him to study music, so he spent a year studying law at the University of Halle.

What did Handel do in London?

Handel also worked in the management of the King's Theatres and many of his operas were performed in the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. He sometimes travelled to Italy to find new Italian singers and persuade them to come to London. London became world famous for operas.

Did Handel's father want him to be a lawyer?

Handel's father did not want him to study music; he wanted him to be a lawyer. Although Handel's father died in 1697, Handel enrolled at the University of Halle in 1703. He studied law for a year because his father wanted him to do so. After that year, Handel was unhappy studying law.

What did Handel's father wanted him to be?

George Frideric Handel was born in Germany and came to over to England at the request of George I. He then asked to be made a British citizen in 1727. His father wanted him to be a lawyer, but the Duke Johann Adolf I convinced him to let Handel take music lessons after seeing him perform.

What was Handel's father's dream for his future and why would he want that career for his son?

His father had wanted Handel to become a lawyer. He graduated Halle in law, 1702, to satisfy his father's wish. He did this even though he was intent on music (Lang 20). One day years before, when his father brought him to visit the courts, a duke heard him playing the organ and asked his father to train him in music.

Did Handel become a lawyer?

His father died when Handel was 11, but his education had been provided for, and in 1702 he enrolled as a law student at the University of Halle.

Which composer was originally a lawyer?

Composers of the Baroque PeriodQuestionAnswerWhich Baroque composer's father wanted him to be a lawyer rather than a musician?HandelWhich Baroque composer came from a family of musicians, with a father who taught him to play violin and harpsichord as well as an uncle who taught him to play the organ?Bach8 more rows

Did Handel and Bach ever meet?

Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederic Handel form the twin creative peaks of the18th century. Though they were born in the same country in 1685 and knew each other's music, they never met.

What is the story behind Handel's Messiah?

Other Handel oratorios had strong plots anchored by dramatic confrontations between leading characters. But Messiah offered the loosest of narratives: the first part prophesied the birth of Jesus Christ; the second exalted his sacrifice for humankind; and the final section heralded his Resurrection.

Why does the audience stand for Hallelujah?

A standing tradition: Audience members usually rise to their feet when the famous "Hallelujah" chorus begins. Supposedly King George II was so moved during the London premiere of the Messiah that he stood and then everyone else in the theater followed so as not to offend him.

How long did it take to write Handel's Messiah?

three to four weeksHandel wrote the original version of Messiah in three to four weeks. Most historic accounts estimate the composer spent only 24 days writing the oratorio.

Who commissioned Handel's Messiah?

In 1735, during Lent alone, Handel produced more than 14 concerts made up primarily of oratorios. In 1741 Dublin's Lord Lieutenant commissioned Handel to write a new oratorio based on a biblical libretto assembled by art patron Charles Jennens.

What two composers influenced Handel's work?

The influences of Arcangelo Corelli and Alessandro Scarlatti can be detected in his work to the end of his long life, and the French style of Jean-Baptiste Lully and, later, that of the English composer Henry Purcell are also evident. There is a robustness in Handel's later music that gives it a very English quality.

Who was Handel's teacher?

Friedrich Wilhelm ZachowMusical education Handel's father engaged the organist at the Halle parish church, the young Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow, to instruct Handel. Zachow would be the only teacher that Handel ever had. Because of his church employment, Zachow was an organist "of the old school", reveling in fugues, canons, and counterpoint.