ExclusiveHandel: Largo From Serse Hwv 40

【Classical music and nature 古典音樂小站】George Frideric Handel: Serse, HWV 40 - Ombra mai fu (Largo). This beautiful piece was presented by Germanrecords. It is a royalty free music provided by pond5.com.

George Frideric Handel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-born Baroque composer renowned for his operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos. Born into a family indifferent to music, Handel received rigorous training in Halle, Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712. He became a naturalised British subject in 1727. By this time, he had been greatly influenced by the great composers of the Italian Baroque and the Middle German polyphonic choral tradition. Within fifteen years, Handel had established three commercial opera companies to provide Italian opera for the English nobility. In 1737, he experienced a physical breakdown and underwent a creative change of direction, addressing the middle classes. Following the success of Alexander's Feast (1736), Handel transitioned to English choral works. Following his success with Messiah in 1742, he never performed an Italian opera again. Although Handel was only partly successful with his performances of English oratorios based on mythical and biblical themes, the criticism ended when he arranged a performance of Messiah to benefit London's Foundling Hospital in 1750. It has been said that the passion of Handel's oratorios is ethical, and that they are hallowed not by liturgical dignity, but by moral ideals of humanity. Almost blind and having lived in England for nearly fifty years, Handel died in 1759 a respected and wealthy man. He was given a state funeral and buried in Westminster Abbey. Regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Baroque era, Handel's works include Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks and Messiah, all of which remain popular. One of his four Coronation Anthems, 'Zadok the Priest' (1727), composed for the coronation of George II of Great Britain, has been performed at every subsequent British coronation, traditionally during the sovereign's anointing. Handel composed more than forty operas in over thirty years, and since the late 1960s, with the revival of baroque music and original instrumentation, interest in his work has grown.

It was a lovely winter's day. There was lots of untouched, fresh snow, and the landscape was like something from a winter wonderland. Many people were outside marvelling at the wondrous white landscape. We were lucky enough to be among them. This video was filmed in the Diemtigtal Valley in Switzerland by Simone Schlegel and edited by Wenjing Ma.



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