Thesis--University of Texas. / Vita. Includes bibliography.

Thesis--Catholic University of America. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (D. Mus. Ed.)--Indiana University, 1963. / Includes bibliographical references.

This dissertation explores the ways in which Handel’s late operas intersect with other forms of theater in mid-eighteenth-century London. It seeks to explain how certain comic features of these late works—from the lighter subject matter of the libretti to Handel’s unconventional musical settings—can be seen to echo the heated criticism leveled at Italian opera seria during this period, criticism usually voiced by satirical pamphlets and operatic parodies. It concludes that so-called "serious opera" was not always taken too seriously by London audiences, or even by Handel himself. Instead, opera reception in eighteenth-century London was much more complex, sometimes even contradictory: avid operagoers were often generous patrons of operatic burlesque, and considered ridicule, disruption, and laughter an integral part of their operagoing experience. By tracing the points of contact between Italian opera and British theatrical life, this dissertation examines the ways in which the "comedies" of opera seria, both as historical phenomena and as potentially fruitful sites for theoretical investigation, offer a new picture of the eighteenth-century dramma per musica.

The oratorio, La Resurrezione (1708) is considered by many to represent the summary of George Frederic Handel's Italian compositions. This achievement would not have been realized without the support of Handel's young and ambitious Roman patron, Francesco Ruspoli. The money and effort that Ruspoli spent on the staging of this oratorio confirm that it was planned as the climax for the Easter musical festivities in 1708. The preliminary chapters of this thesis present the background to the presentation of La Resurrezione and include discussions on Handel's presence in Rome, his relationship with Ruspoli, the role of the Accademia dell' Arcadia, and a biography of Carlo Capece, the librettist of the oratorio. Musical issues relating to the oratorio are discussed in chapter four. These include: manuscript sources, the performers of the work, and Handel's musical response to Capece's libretto. The use of a buffo bass (and the notion of Lucifer as a comic character) is traced back to the mid-seventeenth-century. The focus of chapter five is on the music of La Resurrezione, and on examples of Handel's subsequent re-use of the music. As well, the stimuli that prompted Handel to refer to a particular borrowing source are examined. Often a similar dramatic situation prompted Handel's recollection of a previous source; at other times a comparable textual affect, a similar phrase or even a single word in common provided the stimulus for borrowing. The five borrowing groupings discussed in the chapter are chosen because they represent the various means that prompted Handel's recollection of a previous source. Each grouping is organized by an appropriate term which reinforces the argument that it is a textual word, phrase or affect that is the key to understanding the borrowings. A consideration of the borrowings highlights Handel's great talent for portraying people and varying dramatic situations.

This thesis explores the relationship between Handel's borrowing practice and his creation of a new genre---the English Biblical oratorio. It focuses on the types of borrowing, the genres Handel borrowed from, and the use of self-borrowing vs. borrowing from other composers. A comprehensive list of borrowings discovered in Handel's Biblical oratorios (Appendix A) allows the patterns in Handel's borrowing practice and the evolution of the genre to be revealed and discussed. / Chapter One provides a review of the literature on Handel's borrowing in general and the historical roots of Handel's Biblical oratorios. Chapter Two looks at the scholarly treatment of Handel's borrowing, and goes on to discuss specific musical examples of three borrowing types: Type I (reuse), Type II (rework), and Type III (new work). The final chapter identifies borrowing patterns that emerge in Handel's early, middle, and late Biblical oratorios. The borrowing type shifts from Type I to Type III, whereas the genres borrowed from change from sacred choral works to secular operas. Self-borrowings dominate in his early oratorios, drastically decrease in the middle period, and increase again in the late period.

The sacred oratorio Jephtha, Handel's last major work, contains intense drama, impressive character development and a brilliant use of music. In studying the work one discovers not only a masterpiece of art, but also learns a great deal about the composer who, through his music, discloses much of his soul. From a formal point of view key schemes are important.There are different editions of this score; some are more reliable than others. When studying the score one should be aware of the significant number of borrowings present in this work; these include borrowings from Handel's own works as well as from works of others.It is important for every musician to be familiar with the Baroque style as its study will be necessary in performance of music of that period. There are many things to consider when determining a Baroque interpretation of this work. These include style of wind and string playing, phrasing, pitch, ornamentation, instrumentation, and tone quality. It has become common practice, in performance of a Baroque work, to strive towards achieving a recreation of the original performance of the seventeenth or eighteenth century. / School of Music

Inaug.-Diss.--Frankfurt am Main. / Vita. Bibliography: p. 178-183.

Thesis (D. Mus. Arts)--University of Washington, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 192-195).

Thesis (D. Mus. Arts)--University of Washington, 2005. / Includes a complete score of Handel's Messiah in Korean for Korean instruments. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 49-50).