JustSheetMusic
Portrait of George Frideric Handel

Composer

George Frideric Handel

German-British Baroque composer (1685–1759)

1685–1759

5,055 works in the index

Born
1685
Died
1759
Birthplace
Halle (Saale)
Place of death
Westminster
Citizenship / historical state
Brandenburg-Prussia; Kingdom of Great Britain; Holy Roman Empire
Period (estimated from birth year)
Baroque

Biography

Handel spent most of his career in London writing for the public rather than a court, and it shows in the music: direct, grand and built to work in a large room. The catalogue is dominated by the oratorios, the keyboard suites and a great deal of instrumental music.

Messiah is the most-performed choral work in the language and is sold in a bewildering number of editions, from full scholarly scores to simplified singalong versions — check what you are buying, because they are not interchangeable in a rehearsal. The keyboard suites include the variations known as The Harmonious Blacksmith and are more approachable than Bach's equivalent works.

Much of his instrumental music exists in arrangements for combinations he never wrote for. These are legitimate and often excellent, but the listing does not always make clear which you are getting.

Life and musical career

Occupations
composer; harpsichordist; organist; violinist; opera composer; impresario; university teacher
Education
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Teachers
Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow
Instruments played
pipe organ; harpsichord; oboe
Genres
opera; oratorio; concerto; anthem; classical music; coronation anthem
Movements
Baroque music
Notable works
Messiah; Water Music; Music for the Royal Fireworks; Giulio Cesare in Egitto; Alcina; Serse; Concerti grossi, Op. 6
Official website
http://gfhandel.org
Birth name
Georg Friedrich Händel
Native languages
German
Languages used
German; English; Italian
VIAF ID
5126950
ISNI
0000000122759702
GND ID
118544489
Library of Congress ID
n79129204
MusicBrainz ID
27870d47-bb98-42d1-bf2b-c7e972e6befc

Recorded in Wikidata. Affiliations may refer to earlier stages of the composer's career.

In this catalogue

Common listed instruments
Piano, Choir, Organ, Voice, Flute
Genres represented
Classical, Rock, Christmas, pop, Jazz
Works with composition dates
153 of 5,055

These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.

Catalogue

Works page 37 of 106

Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.

Works and available sheet music details
WorkYear composedCatalogue / opusKey in titleListed instrumentsGenreEditions
Joshua, Act 2, No. 26b: "Brethren and friends, what joy this scene imparts" — —— —— 1
Joshua, Act 3, No. 31: "Shall I in Mamre's fertile plain" — —— —— 1
Italian Cantata No. 11: "Cuopre tal volta il cielo", HWV98 — HWV98— —— 1
Coronation Anthems, No. 4: "My Heart Is Inditing" , HWV261 — HWV261— —— 1
Joshua, Act 1, No. 8b "To give command" — —— —— 1
Joshua, Act 2, No. 23b: "Now give the army breath" — —— —— 1
Joshua, Act 3, Nos. 39b: "While lawless tyrants" — —— —— 1
Viola da Gamba Sonata in C Major - Set of Parts — —C major Piano, Viola da gamba— 1
Celebration Medley - Clarinet — —— —— 1
La Rejouissance - Horn in F — —— Timpani— 2
Coronation Anthems, Nos. 1 - 4 — —— —— 1
Tornami a vagheggiar from Alcina - Score — —— Piano— 1
Selected piano works No.11 - Sonata - Piano — —— —— 1
Aria con Variazioni - Set of Parts — —— Piano, Horn, Tuba— 2
Wedding Album for Brass Quartet - Score and Parts — —— —— 2
Christmas Duets - Score and Parts — —— —— 2
Va Tacito - From "Giulio Cesare" - Set of Parts — —— Trombone— 1
La Rejouissance - Timpani — —— Timpani— 2
Messiah , no. 1: Overture — —— Piano, Orchestra— 2
Messiah , no. 2: Comfort ye my people — —— Piano, Orchestra— 2
Messiah , no. 8: Behold, a virgin shall conceive — —— Piano, Orchestra— 2
Messiah , no. 14: There were shepherds abiding in the field. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them — —— Piano, Orchestra— 2
Messiah , no. 20: He shall feed His flock like a shepherd — —— Piano, Orchestra— 2
Messiah , no. 26: All we like sheep have gone astray — —— Piano, Orchestra— 2
Messiah , no. 32: But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell — —— Piano, Orchestra— 2
Messiah , no. 38: How beautiful are the feet of them — —— Piano, Orchestra— 2
Messiah , no. 50: O death, where is thy sting? — —— Piano, Orchestra— 2
Fugue no. 4 in B Minor — —B minor Piano— 1
Recorder Sonata in F Major, HWV369 — HWV369F major Continuo, Recorder— 1
Passacaglia in G Minor - Violin — —G minor Piano, violin, Viola— 1
Solomon, "Sacred raptures cheer my breast" — —— Piano, Voice— 1
O Lord! correct me — —— —— 1
Sing Unto The Lord — —— Piano— 1
Prelude and Fugue in F Minor — —F minor —— 1
Oboe Sonata in G minor, Op. 1, No. 6 — Op. 1, No. 6G minor —— 1
Saul , March — —— —— 1
Trio Sonata no. 2 in G minor - op. 2, no. 8 — op. 2, no. 8G minor —— 1
Trio Sonata no. 7 in B-flat major - op. 5/7 — op. 5/7B-flat major —— 1
Sonata 6 for flute and piano, — —— Piano, Flute— 1
7 Pieces: Prelude in G Major — —G major —— 1
6 Grand Fugues: Fugue No. 2 in G Major — —G major —— 1
Fuga from 4th Suite of Pieces for the Harpsichord — —— —— 1
Chandos Te Deum in B-flat Major, HWV281: No. 6, When Thou Hadst Overcome — HWV281B-flat major Piano— 1
Chandos Te Deum in B-flat Major, HWV281: No. 12, Vouchsafe, O Lord — HWV281B-flat major Piano— 1
"Chandos" Anthems: No. 5a, I Will Magnify Thee — —— —— 1
Joshua, Act 1, Nos. 1a "Ye sons of Israel" — —— —— 1
Joshua, Act 1, No. 9 "Haste, Israel, haste" — —— —— 1
Joshua, Act 2, No. 15b "'Tis well; six times the Lord hath been obey'd" — —— —— 1

Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. The biography above is our own. Authority record: VIAF 8931159248059304870007. Portrait: Attributed to Balthasar Denner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.