George Frideric Handel (Sowers Series)

An excellent, quick moving biography which begins interestingly with the comparison of Handel to Luther: while Luther's father desired that he study to become a lawyer, Handel's father desired the same, despite the fact that everything musical Handel touched proclaimed 'musick composer.' The powerful image of Handel's father burning the 7 year old's music-oriented toys is accompanied by repeating Matthew 5:29 attempting to align his father's opposition to having his son study music by saying "Let's see what Jesus would say about these matters.." The problem of knowing God's will is illustrated with both Handel and his father locating scripture verses to support their hope or know God's will throughout. Well placed sentences provide the world's events concisely along the same time line as each particular chapter of Handel's life. Handel's father is convinced to allow him to study music when a higher authority, the Duke, orders him to do so after hearing the talented child play the clavichord. The tumultuous years to follow are told with historical and political details for England, Germany, France and Italy. Handel never married (and no details are provided as to why--except that he was extremely busy writing operas and struggling to avoid debtors' prison--the gruesome specifics so frightfully described... one's spine prickles) but lovingly provided for his mother even while he lived and worked far from home. While the statement 'Luther and Calvin were good friends' is not grounded with facts, on the whole, this is a well written book or read-aloud for ages 7 and up. Young readers, especially boys, will appreciate the story when Dr. Handel removes a knife from a young man's stomach, a knife which had been accidentally swallowed over a year prior, which many other famous doctors had failed to remove.