Hofnote Newsletter

February 2010

Hello and welcome back into the New Year. The first newsletter of this year begins by looking at endings!

In this newsletter we want to thank Jenny who asked the question, "What is a coda" 

As ever we wish everyone well who is sitting an exam. Why do they call it sitting when you stand to play many instruments?

Handel

Composer of the month

Many of you will have played pieces written by George Frideric Handel. He lived in the later Baroque period and his music represents the highest development of the Baroque style, together with that of J S Bach and other contemporaries such as Scarlatti and Vivaldi. Even Beethoven was impressed by his works, and himself wrote 12 variations for cello on one of Handel's melodies from the opera Judas Maccabaeus. Beethoven is reputed to have said, " Handel is the greatest composer who ever lived. I would bare my head and kneel at his grave." Handel wanted to play the harpsichord so much as a child, that he had a spinet (a small harpsichord) hidden in the attic. It is said he smuggled it up there because his father was against him learning to play. Whether or not that is true, his father would certainly have preferred him to have been a lawyer. However, on a visit to the Court of Saxe-Weissenfels the Duke overheard the young George play and recognised his talent. So he insisted that he was taught properly. At 17, he became assistant organist to his teacher, Zachau, at Halle Cathedral. When he was 21 he moved to Italy for three years to study the Italian style. There, he would have heard the great operas and learnt a great deal about both music and theatre. He met various composers and musicians. He vied with Domenico Scarlatti over who was better on the organ and harpsichord. They had a musical duel where Handel played the harpsichord and Scarlatti the organ. The judges were very diplomatic calling it a draw! In Italy he also met the composer Alessandro Scarlatti, whose music influenced his style. He visited England while working for the Elector of Hanover, but all too soon had to return to Germany. Handel wanted to visit again and got leave of absence to visit England a second time, promising to return reasonably soon. Instead he decided to stay in England and take English citizenship. But he didn't get away with it because the Elector of Hanover became George 1 of England!! Handel had a problem as the king remembered how he had disappeared before, and wouldn't accept his apologies until Handel thought of a way the King could ignore no more. He wrote the Water Music suite and it was played on barges on the River Thames to the king. You can hear some of his music including the Water Music at //www.essentialsofmusic.com/composer/handel.html, Handel lived in Brook Street in London and his home is now a museum which hosts various events and //www.handelhouse.orgl,

The great bear ...

Handel was a larger than life character, known in London as the "Great Bear". Physically big , he really enjoyed his food and drink and had a huge appetite. He had a great sense of humour, but also a quick temper. He always faced up to people which led to a few arguments and a sword fight as well. On one occasion he got himself into a duel and it was only the button on his coat that saved him when it broke his opponents sword! //www.artsalive.ca/en/mus/greatcomposers/handel.html, To read more about some of his escapades have a look at this site. //gfhandel.org/anecdotes.html, What I really like about this big energetic man is that he kept writing inspiring music with enthusiasm, great skill and accomplishment. Even though he suffered a stroke at 52 and went blind at 65, nothing stopped him. He continued conducting after he went blind for six years. When he wrote music he gave it so much energy that he wrote the whole Messiah in 25 days even though it has 50 sections and takes two and a half hours to perform.

The Harmonious Blacksmith

Handel is well known for writing operas and vocal music. Sometimes Operas were too expensive to stage, and also the Church banned theatrical works during Lent and so Handel wrote oratorios. These still told a story using music but not with acting. Operas were acted out with often lavish costumes and staging. Many oratorios that Handel wrote were based on Bible stories, One of the most well remembered is the Messiah. It was first performed in Dublin for charity and is often performed at Christmas or Easter. But Handel also wrote instrumental music. One piece is called the Harmonious Blacksmith. It is a set of variations based on an Air. The melody is repeated in each of six sections. //music.nebrwesleyan.edu/~rcerv/blacksmith.htmll, The original is for harpsichord, but to download a transcription for flute and listen to the music visit //www.musedit.com/med/InstrFeatures/BrassAndWW/Flute-TheHaromoniousBlacksmith-BB.htm, It is doubtful that Handel gave it this name but it refers to an interesting story. The Greek mathematician Pythagoras was puzzling over why some notes sounded good together and others didn't when he passed a blacksmith working with a range of hammers. Some sounded good together while others sounded dreadful. So he went over to find out why and discovered there was a relationship in the sizes of the hammers that sounded good together. It was the beginning of understanding about harmonies. For more technical detail go to /www./notam02.no/renstemming/pythagoras-e.html,

2006 Chamer Music Course in Scotland

Organised by Marjorie Downward

Lester Hough had a brilliant time on the Chamber Music Course arranged by Marjorie Downward in Hopeman, Moray, Scotland. It took place at half term last October. You can just see Lester peering over the piano at the back! The course for woodwind and piano players of at least grade 7 standard focussed on music by Mozart. It lasted the best part of a week, and ended on a real high point with a highly successful concert. All the players who took part had a thoroughly enjoyable time playing together in smaller groups, as well as taking part in music for the whole ensemble. Marjorie is organising another course for advanced wind players this July. For more details, visit //www.billerbeckoboereeds.co.uk,

Award for Hofnote

It was great to be invited to the business dinner of the year in Hull. A really glitzy evening with lots of people who had done all kinds of things. There were representatives from really large, long-established businesses to new ones like us. Alan Johnson, the Labour Minister and Education Secretary (who is from Hull) was there as were the Bishop of Hull, and other dignitaries. Everyone came beautifully dressed. The men mainly in dinner suits although there was a fabulous Scottish outfit, and the Ladies came in dresses of all lengths and styles. After a lovely dinner video presentations of all the companies were shown. Here's a link to the presentation about Hofnote //www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaMZ8_B1SaA, .

How well do you know your musical terms?

Here is a wordsearch where you have to solve the clues to find the words: 1) The Italian word to indicate the music should be loud 2) Half a minim 3) An instrument also known as a fiddle 4) Five straight parallel lines for writing music on 5) A dramatic sung piece of theatre 6) The speed of a piece of music 7) A small harpsichord Handel played 8) Another word for 4/4 time 9) The person who keeps the orchestra playing together 10) "Night piece"; common in the nineteenth century, often for piano. To print the wordsearch follow these instructions. Right click on the wordsearch, save it to where you want it on your computer. You will then be able to resize it and print it off. Enjoy!!

• February 2010
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• October 2009
• June 2008
• November 2007
• May 2007
• March 2007
• February 2007
• October 2006
• August 2006

Hofnote are proud to have appeared in several publications including the Suzuki Magazine, Music Teacher and BBC Music Magazine. Below are some links to online references to Hofnote.

• Hofnote in the top ten
• Design award for Hofnote
• Discussed on forums