韩德尔(1685～1759年)
Handel, George Frideric，原名Georg Friederich H?ndel。
德裔英国作曲家。哈雷的外科医师家庭出身，他努力学习管风琴、小提琴和作曲。1703年移居汉堡，在凯泽（1674～1739）领导的歌剧乐团演奏，1705年在那里创作了第一部歌剧。一位麦迪奇亲王邀请他去佛罗伦斯；在那里及罗马期间受到枢机主教和贵族的赞助，他完成了多出清唱剧、神剧和歌剧。汉诺威选侯请他任宫廷乐长（1710），他要求在出任该职之前准许他前往伦敦访问。他的歌剧《里纳尔多》很快的在伦敦完成（1711）；此後，他一直留在英国，未再回到汉诺威。1714年德国选侯成为英国的乔治一世；二人间的误会冰释，国王是他的赞助人，他成为英国最着名的歌剧作曲家。韩德尔出任新成立的皇家音乐学会的音乐总监，这是一家歌剧院，原本生意兴隆直到大众对义大利歌剧的兴趣减低为止。1732年他改编後的神剧《以斯帖》公开演出，这是首出在英国演出的神剧。其後又演出许多成功的英语神剧，包括了他最伟大的创作《弥赛亚》（1741）。汉德尔也是世界着名的管风琴和大键琴演奏家。他去世後，声誉大幅度提高，并支配着英国音乐达一个世纪以上。他的作品有︰近四十五部义大利歌剧，包括了《朱利奥.凯撒》（1723）、《奥兰多》（1733）和《阿尔其纳》（1735）；神剧包括了《以色列人在埃及》（1739）、《扫罗》（1739）和《耶弗他》（1752）；教堂音乐包括了《钱多斯赞美歌》（1718）和《乔治二世加冕赞美歌》（1718）；他的管弦乐作品有着名的《水上音乐》（1717）和《皇家火焰音乐》（1749），第三号《大协奏曲六首》和第六号《大协奏曲十二首》及十七首管风琴协奏曲。
English version：
1685～1759年
Handel, George Frideric
German-British composer. Born to a barber-surgeon in Halle, he had to struggle to study organ, violin, and composition. Moving to Hamburg in 1703, he played in the opera orchestra under Reinhard Keiser (1674-1739), and his first opera was produced there in 1705. A Medici prince invited him to Florence; there and in Rome, patronized by cardinals and nobility, he wrote oratorios, cantatas, and more operas. Hired as kapellmeister by the elector at Hanover (1710), he asked permission to visit London before assuming his responsibilities. There his opera Rinaldo (1711) immediately made his name; forsaking Hanover, he remained in England the rest of his life. In 1714 the German elector became George I of England; any annoyance at Handel's defection dissipated, and the king became one of his patrons. Handel became musical director of the new Royal Academy of Music, an opera house, which thrived until the public taste shifted away from Italian opera. In 1732 he revised his oratorio Esther for a public performance, the first public oratorio performance in England. Its success was followed by many more English-language oratorios, including his great Messiah (1741). Handel was renowned as virtually the greatest organist and harpsichordist in the world. His posthumous reputation grew to mammoth proportions and dominated English music for more than a century. He wrote about 45 Italian operas, including Giulio Cesare (1723), Orlando (1733), and Alcina (1735). His oratorios include Israel in Egypt (1739), Saul (1739), and Jephtha (1752). His church music includes the Chandos Anthems (1718) and Coronation Anthems (1727). His orchestral works include the famous Water Music (1717) and Royal Fireworks Music (1749), the 18 concerti grossi of Op. 3 and Op. 6, and 17 organ concertos.