The Organ Concertos of Georg Friedrich Handel

by Gordon Balch Nevin

Every once in a while we note instances of a composer becoming so old that he is really new! This is explained by the circumlocutions of the public taste - which swings in circles - and by the inevitable processes of time which keep bringing to the surface that which has great worth, irrespective of its antiquity. In rare cases these recurrent periods of popularity are either brought about by, or largely aided by, some new development of the instrument or technic of that instrument for which the music in question was written; by this is indicated the well known truth that nearly all of the great composers have demanded a techincal facility over and beyond anything known at the time of their writing. consequently their works often go under a cloud, temporarily at least, and later are hailed as the very apotheosis of the idiom of the particular instrument.

It would be foolhardy at this late day to claim prophetic powers by hazarding the guess that the organ concertos of Handel are about to enter a renaissance; these concertos (they are really more or less formal suites, in essence) have had in other days a great popularity. There is, however, one element which would indicate that a new interest in them is about to be awakened, and that element is the fact that they can be perfectly rendered for the first time on the modern organ with its electro-pneumatic action; these compositions are as little suited to the ancient tracker action as are the most pianistic writings of the modern school or organ composers.

Handel (whatever may have been the emotional shortcomings of his instrumental music, whatever the lack of profundity) was emphatically a master of nuance. The secrets of manifold variety in phrasing were an open book to him; he wrote for an organ which was to be developed a full two hundred years after his period of activity in that field. We now have that instrument - the organ capable of producing those nuances and subtleties of phrasing which he indicated.

The life of Handel is of exceedingly great interest, especially to organists. His days were more or less closely associated with the organ for many years. We are told that at a very early age he was given opportunities to practice upon the organ in the chapel of the Duke of Sexe Weissenfels, and that his marvelous powers amazed all the musicians of the chapel. It is also known that it was upon the representations of this same patron of music that the father of Handel was finally induced to withdraw his objections to the lad's embarking upon a musical career. Even at this very early age (he was less than ten years old at the time) his ability in improvisation astounded all who heard him; this very faculty was later to produce the organ concertos which are under consideration.

Parental objections being removed, Handel became a pupil of Zachau, the famous organist of the Cathedral at Halle, studying organ, harpsichord, violin, canon, counterpoint and fugue, and to round out this little list of subjects the hautboy (oboe) was included! We can hardly imagine a student of the present day encompassing such a catholic list of studies! but in those days thoroughness had not become a lost art. In three years the famous Zachau stated that his pupil, Handel, knew more about music than he (Zachau) did himself! His powers an an improvisateur had by this time become phenomenal.

New Interest in Handel

Handel's early entrance into the operatic field terminated his career as a church organist, his last position being as organist of the Schloss-und Domkirche, at Halle, in 1702; from then on he waged a series of operatic battles until in 1737 he became bankrupt, when he turned his attention to oratorio, producing the great works which are most closely associated with his name. It should be noted, however, that he never gave up organ playing, and that many of his organ works were the direct result of improvisation in public - between the parts of his oratorios.

Great Simplicity

Now what are the characteristics of these works? First and foremost stands that element which perhaps more than any other indicates the mind of the truly great composer - the element of lucid simplicity. We are beginning to appreciate this quality again; recent years have witnessed an increasing and labored striving after complexity - as instanced by the average modern "tone-poem", but there are shadows cast before which would show that the pendulum is about to swing in the opposite direction. The state of stability is maintained only by the operation of force and counter force, and we have had about enough of the present bewildering turgidity.

Secondly, must be noted the fact that these organ works are distinctly of concert nature and not of churchly style; Handel lived much of his life in the atmosphere of the theater, and the greatest effects which he produced are interwoven with the technic of the theater. It is because of this very fact that his effects rarely, if ever, "miss fire". He knew effects so well that he could construct them and then say confidently (in essence, if not in exact words): "This will do so and so. I know!"

The concertos therefore are primarily recital music; they can be, however, effectively used for festival occasions or postludial work, and need not be neglected because their greatest usefulness is in recitals. but in this latter, their principal field, the Handel Concertos are a veritable mind of excellent music; the brilliance of rhythmic and harmonic invention, the frequently unlooked for twists in the harmonic scheme, the unexpected modulations, the general atmosphere of gaiety, happiness and good cheer - these all fit eminently for recital use the works of Handel. Much ink has been shed over the organ recital program; writers have endeavored to prove that the great public is uncouth when it steadfastly refuses to swallow programs which are notable chiefly for their gloomy oppressiveness and lack of contrast. These same writers will freely admit that the piano recital program must posses variety and charm, together with not a little of the frankly salon or semi popular style of music - if there be any hope of enticing the same audience for a return date! But they fail to see that the mere fact of an instrument having been associated with ecclesiastical ceremonies for centuries does not in any degree whatsoever influence the character of the program to be used - when that instrument is used for recital purposes. Much of the lack of popularity of the organ as a recital vehicle is due to this misunderstanding.

A detailed analysis of these concertos cannot be undertaken in the space of an article of this character; they run with few exceptions in the style of the suite: four movements are the rule, generally a slow introduction, followed by a well constructed allegro, then a slow movement (usually of emotional content) and finally a very brilliant finale. Very occasionally the order is inverted, but as a rule the order just given is followed. In all of them a wealth of invention awaits the student. The technic employed should be of a rather snappy, crisp, quasi-pianistic nature, with exceedingly minute attention to the little details of note grouping, cross phrasing, etc. One caution may be advanced: do not take the frequent FF marks too literally; the modern organ is much more powerful than was the organ of Handels day, and the use of full organ should be more sparing now than then.

Bach and Handel

 The fact that Bach and Handel were contemporaries has in a measure contrived to lessen the recognition accorded the latter's organ works; the mere fact that they happened to be born in the same year should have no weight in the appraisal of Handel's contributions to the literature of the organ. The explanation of style, thought and method of the two masters may be found in the different training they underwent and the different walks of life which they pursued; Bach's life was closely associated with the church; Handel's with the theater. The results were just what would be expected; one wrote subjectively, the other objectively. The shadow of the church falls over the most of the music of the great John Sebastian; the bright lights of the theater illumine much of Handel's work. But we need not neglect Handel's compositions for our instrument because of that fact, in truth - it is really because of this very thing that we should study and use them; the organ need great, brilliant music, and we have very little of it. In the most eminently satisfying manner do Handel's Organ Concertos fill this requirement.