MS. at Darmstadt), and in works for harpsichord and orchestra. Early in his career he also wrote about 10 operas (1707-11, '19), mostly at Hamburg. His genius was much admired and was certainly above the average.
Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel (d. 1749), the eminent church composer (see sec. 120), produced over 20 operas (1711-23) at Breslau, Naumburg, Prague, Bayreuth and Gotha, among which Valeria (1712) was specially popular. He united learning with a gift of tunefulness, which he cultivated by travel in Italy.
Karl Heinrich Graun (d. 1759) was the remaining prominent opera-writer of the time, though, like Stölzel, not directly connected with Hamburg (see sec. 120). His operas numbered over 30 (from 1726), chiefly for Berlin, where he was director under Frederick the Great, whose taste was imperious for French and Italian styles, and who himself edited many librettos and often contributed some numbers. Popular examples after the erection of the new opera-house in 1742 were Artaserse (1743), Catone in Utica (1744), Adriano in Siria (1745), Demofoonte (1746), etc. Graun's style resembled Hasse's in agreeable melody and clever workmanship.
129. Handel.—The historic position of Handel is peculiar. To a certain degree he appears, like Bach, as a natural consummation of movements that had been long in progress in Italy and Germany, since he stands out as the most powerful opera-writer in the early Italian manner, and was also an organ contrapuntist in the direct German line. But the final application of his energetic and sturdy genius to the oratorio was unprecedented, and the fact that this took place in England and acquired concentrated influence there has linked him closely with modern choral music. Although he was keenly alive to the dominant tendencies of his age and facile with conventional writing for immediate popular success, he also often broke through traditions with the confident independence that betokens original conviction and creative invention of high order. The circumstances of his career developed artistic characteristics very different from those of Bach, setting him in another category, artistically not so high, but practically for a long time more effective. His individual works usually do not bear such minute analysis as those of Bach, but his popular impress has been infinitely greater and in its sphere thoroughly healthy and noble. Certainly he towers in dignity above all others of his contemporaries except Bach.
Georg Friedrich Handel (d. 1759) was born in 1685 at Halle. [The family
name was properly Händel, later commonly anglicized into Handel.] There
is no record of musical ability among his ancestors. He was the son of a respected
surgeon and his second wife (28 years younger), the daughter of a
Lutheran pastor. His father destined him for the law, but the boy's eager-
