Life of Johann Sebastian Bach (Born in 1685) In Eisennach, Germany. Son of Johann Ambrosius
Bach, a musician. Orphaned at the age of 10, he went to live with his elder brother, J.C
Bach who was largely responsible for the young Bach's musical education. This is where Bach began
to develop his formidable skills as a practical musician, especially on the organ and the Klavier.
His working life began as Kapellmeister in 1717 at the court of Anhalt-Cothen, where he composed
many of the best loved of his instrumental works including The Brandenburg Concertos.
Following the death of his first wife in 1720, Bach married the now well-known Anna
Magdalena Wilcken in 1721, to whom he dedicated his "Notebooks". Increasingly Bach became restless
with his job as Kapellmeister at Anhalt-Cothen, prompting his application for a new position
at St Thomas's in Leipzig. His application was not successful although fortunately for Bach,
the appointee withdrew and Bach was given the post. Whilst in Leipzig, Bach composed the St Matthew
Passion, The Mass in B Minor and his final work (unfinished), The Art of Fugue (Die Kunst die Fuge).
Even though Bach sustained a reputation as a formidable organist and virtuoso Klavier player,
his work as a composer was not so well recognized out of his small musical circle
after his death Bach's music all but vanished from the public ear. His work often being considered as
overly protestant and old-fashioned. Mendelsohn has been credited with the revival of Bach's music
that came after a performance he conducted of the St Matthew passion in Berlin. Since
then the numerous compositions of Bach have been catalogued, edited and comprehensively
published, with Bach's reputation as a supreme polyphonist fully restored.
Life of George Frederick Handel - born 1685 into a middle-class background within a Protestant environment.
Handel was a social climber and an opportunist. He traveled extensively and made himself
known to the aristocratic patrons who he knew would fund and support his ambitious ventures.
Handel cut his musical teeth as a violinist in the orchestra of Hamburg where they performed many
contemporary operas that perhaps contributed to Handel's own lifelong fascination with the genre.
In his early 20s, Handel was able to travel to Italy; the home of opera. Handel absorbed
the traditions and practices of the great operas at of the time on his travels whilst increasing
his standing as a virtuoso performer. The Italian influence on his compositions became increasingly
evident from then on. Handel returned to Hanover but only briefly before journeying to England
where he remained until his death. Handel firmly established himself as a composer in England.
He heaped lavish quantities of his own time and his patron's money into each operatic project.
The operatic works became steadily popular with the London crowds but eventually, after
some lapses of artistic judgment, Handel found himself increasingly in debt. Handel found that
his reputation and popularity began to wane and all too soon the London audiences found him less
fashionable. Undaunted, Handel wrote what was to become probably the best-known oratorio in musical
history; The Messiah. Completed in a staggeringly short amount of time, Handel had managed to
re-establish himself with the composition of this remarkable work and secure his legacy.
Unlike Bach's music, Handel's gradually faded from popularity into relative obscurity.
Bach vs Handel - Who is the greater Baroque Composer? PLACE OF WORK: Bach remained broadly within a small area
of Northern Germany. Handel travelled, eager to learn and be influenced by other cultural traditions.
WORK RECOGNITION: Both wrote a substantial quantity of instrumental works and both were recognized as
virtuoso performers on several instruments. SOCIAL STATUS: Bach did not seek to rise through the ranks
of the social hierarchy. Handel deliberately did so and furthered his career as a result in
a country that was not his own. MARRIAGE LIFE: Bach married twice and reportedly fathered 20 children.
Handel remained a deeply private individual who never sought the benefits of marriage.
MUSIC STYLE: Handel became a celebrated operatic composer as well as the composer responsible
for creating the enormously popular oratorio, The Messiah. Bach was the great master of the
polyphonic form, a fugal genius and Handel a melodist of immense power and sensitivity.
The sacred output from Bach greatly outweighs that of Handel although he composed only one
full Mass in B minor. MUSIC POPULARITY: as Bach's works enjoyed a revival through Mendelssohn after his
death, Handel fell from favor and still to this day remain somewhat in the shadow of Bach.
LIFE BEFORE DEATH: Both men experienced blindness towards the end of their lives
and both underwent surgery that in Bach's case was directly attributed to his death.
Handel never recovered his eyesight and his last compositions were notated painstakingly
by his amanuensis (copyist), John Christopher Smith - himself a relatively successful opera composer.
PASSIONS AND ORATORIOS: For Bach, 5 pieces (St Matthew, St John passions/ Christmas,
Easter Ascension Oratorios) For Handel 29 pieces (The Messiah, no passions) OPERAS: For Bach,
none. For Handel, 42 pieces. ESTIMATED TOTAL NUMBER OF PIECES COMPOSED: For Bach, 1200 pieces. For Handel,
612 pieces. NOTE: Many compositions, in particular of Bach, has been lost. The same is broadly true for Handel.