The biographical notices of Handel's youth transmitted to us are but
scanty and unsatisfactory. The same might, however, be said of most of
our celebrated musicians, and the cause of the meagreness is, as we have
seen in another place, easily explicable.[1] Of Handel's musical
pursuits before his arrival in Hamburg, at the age of eighteen, we know
scarcely more than that he was a pupil of Zachau, an organist at Halle,
where Handel was born; that, as a boy, he paid a short visit to Berlin,
where his talent attracted some attention; and that subsequently he
studied Law, at the University of Halle. The latter fact indicates that
the choice of music as a profession was not hastily determined in his
childhood; and this surmise accords with the stated reluctance of his
father, a medical practitioner in Halle, to have his son brought up as a
musician.
Arrived in Hamburg, in the year 1703, Handel soon made the acquaintance
of Mattheson, an intelligent and industrious young musician, who was
competent to appreciate the genius of Handel, and faithfully to record
the progress of the promising youth during his sojourn in Hamburg, which
lasted about three years. Mattheson was four years older than Handel,--a
difference which, between two lads of twenty-two and eighteen, is not
without some weight in their mutual intercourse, especially if the elder
is already enjoying a certain success, while the younger is a new comer,
intent upon gaining a footing. Mattheson's observations about Handel,
although occasionally tinged with jealousy of his talented brother
artist, are therefore particularly noteworthy in the biography of the
great composer.
Johann Mattheson, born in Hamburg, in the year 1681, was at the time of
Handel's arrival tenor singer and musical composer at the theatre of the
town, and teacher of singing, the harpsichord, and thorough-bass. When,
in the year 1705, an increasing deafness compelled him to relinquish his
engagement as singer and actor in operas at the theatre, his
accomplishments, combined with commendable habits of industry and
punctuality, induced the British Ambassador at Hamburg to engage him as
tutor for his son, and afterwards to appoint him his secretary. During
an active life of unusual duration,--he died in the year 1764, at the
age of 83,--Mattheson published a great number of treatises on musical
subjects, some of which still possess value as books of reference. His
vanity, not unfrequently exhibited in his writings, may in some measure
have been nourished by his many flatterers among his musical
contemporaries, who evidently feared his sarcastic pen all the more
because they did not possess the literary ability to engage successfully
in a controversy with him when they disagreed with his opinion.
As regards the musical compositions of Mattheson, we know from his own
statement, in his autobiography, that his operas were greatly admired by
the public; but this favourable opinion is hardly supported by such of
his compositions as have appeared in print. A collection of twelve
Suites for the harpsichord, the manuscript of which he sent to England,
where it was published in two volumes, in the year 1714, bears the
title:--'Pieces de Clavecin, en deux Volumes, consistant des Ouvertures,
Preludes, Fugues, Allemandes, Courentes, Sarabandes, Gigues et Aires,
composees par J. Mattheson, Secr.--London, printed for J. D. Fletcher.'
The work is prefaced by an address to the musical public, written by the
editor, J. D. Fletcher, in which he says:--"Britain may now hope to
return those arts with interest, which she borrowed from other nations;
and foreigners in time may learn of those whom their forefathers
taught.... As the harpsichord is an instrument yet capable of greater
improvement, so the following pieces claim a precedence of all others of
this nature; not only that they are composed by one of the greatest
masters of the age, in a taste altogether pleasing and sublime; but, as
they are peculiarly adapted to that instrument, and engraven with an
exactness that cannot be equall'd by any of their nature yet extant."
Sir John Hawkins, who probably had not seen these Suites, relates:
"Mattheson had sent over to England, in order to their being published
here, two collections of lessons for the harpsichord, and they were
accordingly engraved on copper, and printed for Richard Meares in St.
Paul's Church-yard, and published in the year 1714. Handel was at that
time in London, and in the afternoon was used to frequent St. Paul's
Church for the sake of hearing the service, and of playing on the organ
after it was over; from whence he and some gentlemen of the choir would
frequently adjourn to the Queen's Arms tavern in St. Paul's Church-yard,
where was a harpsichord. It happened one afternoon, when they were thus
met together, Mr. Weely, a gentleman of the choir, came in and informed
them that Mr. Mattheson's lessons were then to be had at Mr. Meares'
shop; upon which Mr. Handel ordered them immediately to be sent for, and
upon their being brought, played them all over without rising from the
instrument." Still more odd appears Hawkins' statement that Handel
"approved so highly of the compositions of Mattheson, particularly his
lessons, that he was used to play them for his private amusement."[2]
If Handel really could amuse himself by playing these lessons, which are
in no respect superior to the usual productions of the mediocre
musicians of his time, it probably was only from feelings of curiosity
and kindness towards a former friend. Mattheson composed a great deal,
and made at last even his own Funeral Anthem, which after his death was
performed to his honour, and which, if report speaks correctly, sounded
truly miserable; and this may well be believed, considering that when
he composed the music Mattheson had been deaf for nearly thirty years.
Still, though he was but a poor composer, he possessed ample musical
knowledge and practical skill to enable him to judge the works of his
superior contemporaries. His jealous disposition, however, sometimes
prevented him from forming a just opinion. His disparaging critique of
an early work of Handel, in his 'Critica Musica,' Hamburg, 1725, at a
time when Handel had become a resident in London, was evidently
influenced by jealousy, and the same is more or less observable in his
other writings. Nevertheless, he took every opportunity to keep up a
correspondence with Handel, and to boast of his former familiarity with
the celebrated man. Mattheson, having solicited Handel's opinion upon a
certain theoretical question on which he was in dispute with some German
musicians, and having also expressed the hope that Handel might favour
him with some biographical notices, Handel, at the conclusion of his
letter in reply, excuses himself for not complying with the second point
in question:--
"Pour ce qui est du second point, vous pouvez juger vous meme qu'il
demande beaucoup de recueillement, dont je ne suis pas le maitre
parmi les occupations pressantes, que j'ai par devers moi. Des que
j'en ferai un peu debarasse, je repasserai les Epoques principales
que j'ai eues dans le cours de ma Profession, pour vous faire voir
l'estime et la consideration particuliere avec laquelle j'ai
l'honneur d'etre,
Monsieur,
Votre tres humble et tres
Obeissant Serviteur,
G. F. HANDEL.