Part 31 (1/2)

[Illustration: GROTTO]

”The roo apartment where he died, are shown The for wholly of books in French

”We returned to Ha

”We were in old Danish territory already We stopped but one night at Ha on our return; then we made our way to the steaen”

Aht was one by astudent of Yule, which he called

THE CITY OF HANDEL'S YOUTH

The coe Frederick Handel, was born at Halle, Ger before he could talk plainly

His father, a physician, was alarmed, for he had a poor opinion of rew, nature asserted that he would be a musician; the father declared he should be a lawyer

Little George was kept froht He o to no place where music would be heard, and no musical instrument was permitted in the house

But nature, aided by the wiser mother, triumphed In those days ht not disturb the quiet of their convents It was a sort of piano, and the strings were led into the garret of Dr Handel's house At night, George would steal up to the attic and practise upon it But not a tinkle could the watchful father hear Before the child was seven years of age he had taught himself to play upon the dumb instrument

One day Dr Handel started to visit a son in the service of a Geran in the duke's chapel But not until he ran after the coach did the father consent

They arrived at the palace as a chapel service was going on The boy stole away to the organ-loft, and, after service, began playing The duke, recognizing that it was not his organist's style, sent a servant to learn as playing Theboy

Dr Handel was both a the child on the head, drew out his story ”You are stifling a genius,”

he said to the angry father; ”this boy must not be snubbed” The doctor, more subservient to a prince than to nature, consented that his son should studythree years the boy studied with Zachau, the organist of the Halle Cathedral They were years of hard work One day his teacher said to George, ”I can teach you no longer; you already know o and study in Berlin” Berlin was at once attracted to the youthful an But the death of his father co to descend, that he ht rise, he beca Opera House The hoe he had received prompted his vanity to create a surprise He played badly, and acted as a verdant youth The ly informed him that he would never earn his salt Handel, however, waited his opportunity One day the harpsichordist, the principal person in the orchestra, was absent The band, thinking it would be a good joke, persuaded Handel to take his place Laying aside his violin, he seated himself at the harpsichord, amid the save place to looks of wonder He played on, and the whole orchestra broke into loud applause Fro, the youth of nineteen led the band

Handel's extraordinary skill as a perforenius He practised incessantly, so that every key of his harpsichord was hollowed like a spoon

Handel's greatest triu Irish of Dublin had the honor of first welco his masterpiece, the ”Messiah” Such was the enthusiasm it created that ladies left their hoops at hoet one hundred more listeners into the room

A German poet calls the ”Messiah” ”a Christian epic in musical sounds” The expression is a felicitous description of its therandest of events with the sublireat composer co and instrument to praise the life, death, and triumph of the Christ No human composition ever voiced, in poetry or prose or in's Son as that uttered by this nificent oratorio

The sacred Scriptures furnish the words The seer's prophecies, the Psal, the anthem of the redeemed, are transferred to aria, recitative, and chorus The sentiht out the fitting words had studied his Bible, and he who joined to theion of the sublime

All the emotions are touched by the oratorio Words and music quiver with fear, utter sorrow, plead with pathos, or exult in the joy of triumph A symphony so paints a pastoral scene that the shepherds of Bethlehe their flocks One air, ”He was despised,” suggests that its birth was a it It is the threnody of the oratorio

The grandeur of the ”Messiah” finds its highest expression in the ”Hallelujah Chorus” ”I did think,” said Handel, describing, in iht at the moment of composition,--”I did think I did see all heaven before reat God himself”

When the oratorio was first performed in London, the audience were transported at the words, ”The Lord God oe II, who happened to be present, started to their feet and ree has beco audiences