George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (1685 – 1759 )
was a German-British Baroque composer well known for
his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and
organ concertos. Handel received his training in Halle
and worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before
settling in London in 1712, where he spent the bulk of
his career and became a naturalised British subject in
1727. He was strongly influenced both by the
middle-German polyphonic choral tradition and by
composers of the Italian B...(+)
George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (1685 – 1759 )
was a German-British Baroque composer well known for
his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and
organ concertos. Handel received his training in Halle
and worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before
settling in London in 1712, where he spent the bulk of
his career and became a naturalised British subject in
1727. He was strongly influenced both by the
middle-German polyphonic choral tradition and by
composers of the Italian Baroque. In turn, Handel's
music forms one of the peaks of the "high baroque"
style, bringing Italian opera to its highest
development, creating the genres of English oratorio
and organ concerto, and introducing a new style into
English church music. He is consistently recognized as
one of the greatest composers of his age.
Queen Caroline, consort of George II, had been friend
and patron to Handel for more than thirty years when
she died in 1737. An accomplished amateur musician
herself, Caroline took a lively interest in artistic
and intellectual matters, and was widely mourned at her
death. Handel received the commission for her funeral
and composed the anthem within a week to a text chosen
by the sub-dean of Westminster Abbey, Edward Willes,
mostly from the Biblical books of Lamentations and Job.
At the funeral, according to contemporary accounts,
"…the great Bells of the Cathedral of St. Paul and of
many Churches in London and Westminster were tolled.
And the Tower Guns kept firing all the while, at a
Minute’s Distance between each". Handel's anthem was
performed in Westminster Abbey by "near 80 vocal
performers and 100 instrumental from His Majesty’s
band, and from the Opera, etc." The Duke of Chandos,
Handel's former patron, wrote of the anthem "the
composition was exceedingly fine, and adapted very
properly to the melancholy occasion.
The anthem begins with a chorus that recalls the
chorales used in the Lutheran church services Handel
attended and composed music for as a young man. The
musical material is developed contrapuntally and ends
in an impressive fugue. Tender choruses "When the ear
heard her" and "She delivered the poor", expressing the
Queen's gentle character, alternate with repeated and
powerful choral interjections of "How are the mighty
fall'n." The work comes to a quiet conclusion. Musical
historian and Handel's first biographer, Charles
Burney, ranked "The Funeral Anthem of Queen Caroline"
as the finest of all Handel's compositions.
The chorus "Their bodies are buried in peace" quotes
the music of Jacob Handl's setting of Ecce quomodo
moritur justus.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_Anthem_for_Queen
_Caroline#:~:text=The%20ways%20of%20Zion%20do,(Lamentat
ions%202%3A10).).
Although originally composed for 2 Violins, Soprano and
Basso Continuo, I created this Arrangement of the "When
the ear heard her" from the Funeral Anthem for Queen
Caroline (HWV 264 Mvt. 4) for Winds (Flute, Oboe,
French Horn & Bassoon) & Strings (2 Violins, Viola &
Cello).
SHEET MUSIC