Editing George Frideric Handel (section)

=== Musical education ===
Sometime between the ages of seven and nine, Handel accompanied his father to [[Weissenfels]], where he came under the notice of one whom Handel thereafter always regarded throughout life as his benefactor,{{sfn|Schoelcher|1857|p=5}} [[Johann Adolf I, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels|Duke Johann Adolf I]].{{efn|The year and purpose of the visit and why the meeting occurred are variously given. Schoelcher and Bone have it that Handel was seven and they were visiting a son by Georg's first marriage, who was in service to the Duke.<ref>{{harvnb|Schoelcher|1857|p=4}}; {{harvnb|Bone|1914|p=141}}.</ref> [[Friedrich Chrysander]] states that they were visiting the younger Handel's nephew, Carl (ten years his senior) who was the Duke's valet.<ref>{{harvnb|Chrysander|1858}}: Buch 1: 2. Kindheit.</ref>

Lang writes that Handel was nine and Handel's father, holding a court position, must have frequently travelled to Weissenfels, where the Duke had established a residence after [[Prussia]] had annexed the city of Halle. Young Handel was taken along because he could be cared for by relatives of his late wife.{{sfn|Lang|1966|p=11}}}} Somehow Handel made his way to the court organ in the palace chapel of the Holy Trinity, where he surprised everyone with his playing.<ref>{{harvnb|Schoelcher|1857|pp=4–5}}; {{harvnb|Bone|1914|p=141}}; {{harvnb|Lang|1966|p=11}}.</ref> Overhearing this performance and noting the youth of the performer caused the Duke, whose suggestions were not to be disregarded, to recommend to Georg Händel that Handel be given musical instruction.<ref>{{harvnb|Lang|1966|p=11}}; {{harvnb|Bone|1914|p=141}}; {{harvnb|Schoelcher|1857|p=5}}.</ref> Handel's father engaged the organist at the Halle parish church, the young [[Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow]], to instruct Handel. Zachow would be the only teacher that Handel ever had.{{sfn|Lang|1966|p=11}} Because of his church employment, Zachow was an organist "of the old school", revelling in fugues, canons, and counterpoint.{{sfn|Schoelcher|1857|p=5}} But he was also familiar with developments in music across Europe and his own compositions "embraced the new concerted, dramatic style".{{efn|"His cantatas, often highly dramatic, are distinguished by very imaginative choral writing, colourful orchestration, and skilful handling of the concerted element."{{sfn|Lang|1966|pp=11–12}}}}

When Zachow discovered the talent of Handel, he introduced him "to a vast collection of German and Italian music, which he possessed, sacred and profane, vocal and instrumental compositions of different schools, different styles, and of every master".{{sfn|Schoelcher|1857|p=5}} Many traits considered "Handelian" can be traced back to Zachow's music.<ref>{{harvnb|Lang|1966|p=12}}; {{harvnb|Landon|1984|p=15}}. ''See also'' {{cite book|last=Seiffert|first=Max|chapter=Preface to Volumes 21, 21 (Zachow)|title=Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst|location=Leipzig|publisher=Breitkopf & Härtel|year=1905|title-link=Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst}}</ref> At the same time Handel continued practice on the [[harpsichord]], and learned violin and organ, but according to [[Charles Burney|Burney]] his special affection was for the ''hautbois'' (oboe).<ref>{{harvnb|Schoelcher|1857|pp=5–6}}. ''See also'' {{harvnb|Bone|1914|pp=141–142}}.</ref> Schoelcher speculates that his youthful devotion to the instrument explains the large number of pieces he composed for the oboe.{{sfn|Schoelcher|1857|p=6}}

[[File:Marktkirche halle 1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Marktkirche Unser Lieben Frauen|Marktkirche]] in Halle where Handel was baptised, and where [[Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow|Friedrich Zachow]] and Handel performed as organists]]
With respect to instruction in composition, in addition to having Handel apply himself to traditional [[fugue]] and [[cantus firmus]] work, Zachow, recognising Handel's precocious talents, systematically introduced Handel to the variety of styles and masterworks contained in his extensive library. He did this by requiring Handel to copy selected scores. "I used to write like the devil in those days", Handel recalled much later.{{sfn|Lang|1966|p=12}}

Much of this copying was entered into a notebook that Handel maintained for the rest of his life. Although it has since disappeared, the notebook has been sufficiently described to understand what pieces Zachow wished Handel to study. Among the chief composers represented in this exercise book were [[Johann Krieger]], an "old master" in the fugue and prominent organ composer, [[Johann Caspar Kerll]], a representative of the "southern style" after his teacher [[Girolamo Frescobaldi]] and imitated later by Handel,{{efn|Handel not only applied Kerll's techniques and phrases in later compositions, he imported an entire movement composed by Kerll into ''[[Israel in Egypt]]''.{{sfn|Lang|1966|p=14}}}} [[Johann Jakob Froberger]], an "internationalist" also closely studied by [[Dieterich Buxtehude|Buxtehude]] and [[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]], and [[Georg Muffat]], whose amalgam of French and Italian styles and his synthesis of musical forms influenced Handel.{{sfn|Lang|1966|pp=13–16}}

Mainwaring writes that during this time Zachow had begun to have Handel assume some of his church duties. Zachow, Mainwaring asserts, was "often" absent, "from his love of company, and a cheerful glass", and Handel, therefore, performed on organ frequently.{{sfn|Mainwaring|1760|p=15}} What is more, according to Mainwaring, Handel began composing, at the age of nine, church services for voice and instruments "and from that time actually did compose a service every week for three years successively".{{sfn|Mainwaring|1760|p=16}} Mainwaring ends this chapter of Handel's life by concluding that three or four years had been enough to allow Handel to surpass Zachow, and Handel had become "impatient for another situation"; "Berlin was the place agreed upon."{{sfn|Mainwaring|1760|p=18}} Carelessness with dates or sequences (and possibly imaginative interpretation by Mainwaring) makes this period confused.{{efn|Both Landon and Hogwood point out and to the extent possible correct the more obvious misstatements of facts and dates and inconsistencies of Mainwaring. ''See'' {{harvnb|Landon|1984|pp=9–19}}; {{harvnb|Hogwood|1984|pp=11–17}}.}}