Though unquestionably one of the greatest and best-loved of all composers, George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) had received little attention from biographers before Jonathan Keates' masterful "Handel: The Man and His Music" appeared in 1985. This fully updated and expanded edition - published to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the composer's death - charts in detail Handel's life, from his youth in Germany, through his brilliantly successful Italian sojourn, to the opulence and squalor of Georgian London. For over two decades Handel was absorbed in London's heady but precarious operatic world. But even his phenomenal energy and determination could not overcome the public's growing indifference to Italian opera in the 1730s, and he turned finally to oratorio, a genre which he made peculiarly his own and in which he created some of his finest works, such as "Saul", "Messiah", and "Jeptha".Jonathan Keates writes with sympathy and penetration about this extraordinary genius, whose career abounded in reversals that would have crushed anyone with less resilience and will-power, but whose influence was to be deeply felt by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Interwoven with the account of Handel's life are commentaries on all his major works, as well as many less familiar pieces by this most inventive, expressive and captivating of composers.

About the Author

Jonathan Keates is a prizewinning biographer and novelist, well known as a reviewer and as a writer on Italian culture and history. He teaches at the City of London School and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Prizes

Fully revised, expanded and updated edition of Jonathan Keates' magisterial 1985 biography of one of the world's favourite composers.

Reviews

Following closely on the heels of Christopher Hogwood's impressive biography ( LJ 4/15/85), this latest tercentennial tribute to Handel is less glossy, more subjective, and just as enjoyable as its predecessor. Keates is not a musicologist or performerhe is a Shakespeare scholar and fiction writer, but has an amateur's enthusiasm for his subject and an engaging writing style. Moreover, he is able to avail himself of recent Handel research without deadening the prose. While the writing is essentially nontechnical, there are many astute observations on Handel's musical connections with his contemporaries. Scholars will prefer the excellent bibliography and detailed chronology in Hogwood's book; its clarity and objectivity make it a requisite first choice for libraries. For larger collections, however, Keates's quirky and colorful account will be a fine addition. Larry Lipkis, Music Dept., Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, Pa.

This portrait of the German composer interweaves biographical details with commentary on his immenseoeuvre. (Jan.)