The Indebtedness of Handel to Works by Other Composers A Presentation of Evidence

A popular and generous figure on the Cambridge academic scene, Sedley Taylor (1834–1920) used his proficiency both in music and in European languages to render Continental musical scholarship accessible to British readers. In this book, originally published in 1906, Taylor draws on the work of Chrysander and Seiffert to display clearly the influence on Handel by a number of lesser-known composers including Habermann, Kerl and Clari. Handel's musical inspirations were the subject of much debate, with Samuel Wesley accusing him of 'establishing a Reputation wholly constituted upon the spoils of the Continent'. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in musical history and the contested originality of Handel.

Preface; Introduction. Outline of history of opinion as to Handel's originality; 1. Comparison of passages from works by Handel with extracts from compositions by Gottlieb, Muffat, and with manuscript copies made thence by Handel; 2. Comparison of passages from Handel's Jephtha with extracts from masses by Franz Johann Habermann, and with manuscript copies made thence by Handel; 3. Comparison of a chorus in Handel's Theodora with a vocal duet by Giovanni Carlo Maria Clari; 4. Comparison of two choruses in Handel's Trionfo del Tempo with two choruses in a work by Karl Heinrich Graun, and with manuscript copies of them made by Handel. Miscellaneous examples of Handel's use of his work; 5. Handel's use of earlier compositions of his own. Instances of this in the case of some duets set to secular Italian words and afterwards developed into several choruses, and one duet, in Messiah; 6. Character of results attained by Handel when making use of pre-existing materials. Israel in Egypt affords unique opportunities for studying these results. Comparison of Part I of that oratorio with portions of a serenata by Stradella, an organ-piece by Kerl and four earlier compositions of Handel's own; 7. Comparison of Part II of Israel in Egypt with a Latin Magnificat, the authorship of which is disputed, and with a passage from a Latin Te Deum by Urio; 8. Discussion of the question whether Handel's mode of dealing with compositions by other Masters was morally justifiable; Appendices: List of works by Handel quoted from in this volume; List of composers, instances of the use of whose works by Handel are quoted in this volume; List of examples; Index.