Overview

Handel's frequent and extensive alterations to his scores yield much valuable information on musical and extra-musical matters. This book represents the most thorough study to date of Handel's compositional procedures in his English oratorios and musical dramas. David Hurley examines six major works composed between 1743 and 1751 (Semele, Hercules, Belshazzar, Solomon, Susanna, and Jephtha), explores changes in the autograph scores, and, where possible, traces the progress of musical ideas from sketches and/or borrowings through drafts to the first performance version. By studying recurring types of revisions, Hurley identifies Handel's regular musical concerns while also addressing changes arising from specific dramatic situations. The later chapters of the book offer fresh insight into the relationship between music and text, evaluating for the first time the role of word painting in Handel's compositional process and furthering our knowledge about Handel's interactions with librettists and singers during the oratorio years.

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9780198163961

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Reviews

`Hurley's achivement is constantly to consider what musical reason Handel might have for doing something; he is never content to shrug his shoulders and say 'who knows?'. In doing so he covers a lot of ground, throws up a lot of ideas, and questions some of the suggestions made by those who have written on the subject before. At the same time his scholarship is meticulous and well-read,' Early Music Today, August 1 2001 `an impressive insight into Handel's working methods.' Clifford Bartlett, Early Music Review, No. 70, May 2001

`Hurley's achivement is constantly to consider what musical reason Handel might have for doing something; he is never content to shrug his shoulders and say 'who knows?'. In doing so he covers a lot of ground, throws up a lot of ideas, and questions some of the suggestions made by those who have written on the subject before. At the same time his scholarship is meticulous and well-read,' Early Music Today, August 1 2001 `an impressive insight into Handel's working methods.' Clifford Bartlett, Early Music Review, No. 70, May 2001

It would be hard to overstate the value of this excellent book. In having the courage to go right back to the unfashionable sources, David Ross Hurley has blown away a number of Handelian cobwebs, and raised substantial questions for future research. Music and Letters A detailed investigation of Handel's revisions to librettos leads effectively into the chapter 'Musical Imagery as Drama', which may be seen as the book's most brilliant section. Music and Letters This book is the first extended study of multiple aspects (including borrowing) of Handel's compositional methods ... Hurley brings to this study an intimate knowledge of all the relevant sources. Music and Letters This is a solid and immensely stimulating contribution to Handelian scholarship - and in an area so far little explored. As such, it deserves a warm welcome. H. Diack Johnstone, Early Music I put the book down feeling grateful to have learned so much more than I already knew about the composer and his working methods. H. Diack Johnstone, Early Music This impressive piece of scholarship rests comfortably on a generous-spirited, thorough knowledge of the relevent literature. It nicely fills a vacuum ... Hurley provides sensible, perceptive analyses of how Handel actually wrote his scores ... Ample, helpful scholarly apparatus; clear and nicely pointed prose. Excellent! W. Metcalfe, emeritus, University of Vermont

Author Information

David Ross Hurley is Assistant Professor of Music at Pittsburg State University

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