Handel and Mattheson bury the hatchet

Synopsis

Now 18th-century opera is supposed to be a rather staid and stuffy affair. These operas invariably had happy endings, with all the messy human passion and conflicts amicably resolved by the opera’s finale.

But 18th-century opera could arouse some serious emotion offstage. In 1704, an 18-year-old composer named George Frideric Handel was employed as a violinist and harpsichordist in the orchestra of the Hamburg opera house. He made the acquaintance of another young composer, 23-year-old Johann Mattheson. The two became fast friends until, that is, a December performance of Mattheson’s opera Cleopatra, during which Handel refused to turn over the harpsichord to Mattheson.

“Hey, it’s my opera, after all — move over!” Mattheson must have said, but to no avail.

One thing led to another, and the result was a duel. It is said that Handel’s life was saved by a button on his coat that deflected one of Mattheson’s more lethal sword-thrusts.

Thankfully, in the best tradition of 18th-century opera, the two reconciled on today’s date in 1704, dining together and attending a Hamburg rehearsal of Handel’s first opera, Almira, becoming, as Mattheson put it, “better friends than ever.”

Music Played in Today's Program

George Frederic Handel (1685-1757) Oboe Concerto No. 3; Heinz Holliger, oboe; English Chamber Orchestra; Raymond Leppard, cond. Philips 454 363

On This Day

Births

• 1853 - French composer André Messager, in Montlucon;

• 1859 - Czech composer Joseph Bohuslav Foerster, in Prague;

• 1874 - Russian composer Reinhold Glière (Gregorian date: Jan. 11, 1875);

• 1904 - Soviet composer Dimtri Kabalevsky, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Dec. 17);

• 1910 - American composer and writer Paul Bowles, in Jamaica, N.Y.;

Deaths

• 1946 - American composer Charles Wakefield Cadman, age 65, in Los Angeles;

• 1979 - American composer Richard Rodgers, age 77, in New York City;

Premieres

• 1725 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 28 ("Gottlob, nun geht das Jahr zu Ende") performed on the Sunday after Christmas as part of Bach's third annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1725/27);

• 1877 - Brahms: Symphony No. 2, with Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Hans Richter;

• 1879 - Gilbert & Sullivan: operetta "The Pirates of Penzance," in Paignton at the Royal Bijou (partial preview to insure British copyright); The first full performance of the new work occurred at the Fifth Avenue Theater in New York City the following day, with Sullivan conducting and Gilbert in attendance; The New York premiere was arranged to register American copyright of the new work and pre-empt unauthorized "pirate" productions in the U.S.;

• 1884 - Bruckner: Symphony No. 7, with Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra conducted by Arthur Nikisch;

• 1905 - Lehar: operetta "The Merry Widow," at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna;

• 1921 - Prokofiev: opera "The Love for Three Oranges," in Chicago, with composer conducting;

• 1943 - Khachaturian: Symphony No. 2 in Moscow;

• 1961 - Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4, by Moscow Philharmonic, Kiril Kondrashin conducting; This symphony was scheduled to be premiered in 1936, but the composer withdrew the score after performances of his opera "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk" had cancelled after being was severely criticized in the official press;

• 1977 - Daniel Pinkham: "The Miracle at Cana" at King's Chapel in Boston, performed by flutist Liselyn Adams and organist Barry Turley at their own wedding; This music was later incorporated into a larger "Miracles" suite for flute and organ;

• 1992 - Christopher Rouse: Trombone Concerto, by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Slatkin, with soloist Joseph Alessi; This work won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1993.