1713
[Thomas Grote to the Elector of Hanover, 13 January 1713]
My lord Bolingbroke told me in the name of the queen that Her Majesty had commissioned Your Highness’s Kapellmeister, Handel, to compose a piece of music for her. Because she would like him to remain here until this is done but has found out that Your Highness’s permission for him to remain here has come to an end, I would like to inform Your Highness in confidence that Her Majesty wishes Handel to remain here for a while. I have promised that with pleasure and herewith report, as I didn’t doubt that Your Highness would be pleased that one of your servants would have the honour of serving Her Majesty in some way. This music is, as I understand, a Te Deum, which shall be sung in St Paul’s Cathedral when peace is proclaimed, and more than a hundred musicians are going to be employed for this. Regarding the time, they seem to be rather in a hurry and one should assume it would take about four weeks from now.[1]
Te Deum, composed by Mr. Hendel, which is to be
perform’d on the Day of Thanksgiving for the Peace, at
St. Paul’s, was rehears’d there, on Thursday last at Noon;
which was extraordinary fine, both Vocal and Instrumental.[2]
A Te Deum, Composed by Mr. Hendel, which is to be perform’d on the Day of Thanksgiving for the Peace at St. Paul’s, was Rehearsed there on Thursday last, and this Afternoon, where was present many Persons of Quality of both Sexes; it is much Commended by all that have heard the same, and are competent Judges therein.[3]
Mar 19
London March 19. This day the Te Deum (to be sung when the Peace is proclaim’d) was rehearsed at the Banqueting House at Whitehall, where abundance of the Nobility and Gentry were present.[4]
Apr 4
|
New Musick just Published for the Flute, The fourth Book of the Flute-Master improved, containing the most perfect Rules, and easiest Instructions for Learners, with a choice Collection of new <Song> Tunes and Dances, Trumpet Tunes, Airs, Minuets and Jigs, a new <...> Keys Mr. Hendle’s choicest Arriets in the last new Opera’s, pr. 1 s. 6d. Likewise a new Book for the Violin. Both Printed for L. Pippard at Orpheus next Door to Button’s Coffee-house in Russel-street, Covent Garden.[5] |
May 13
London, May 13. [...]
Te Deum has been again rehears’d at Whitehall, as it is to be perform’d on the
Thanksgiving Day.[6]
[Kreienberg, Hanoverian Resident in London, to unknown recipient in Hanover, 5/16 June 1713]
A few days ago I wrote to you on the subject of Mr Handel, that since His Highness was determined to dismiss him, Mr Handel submitted to that wish, and desired nothing save that the affair be conducted with a good grace and [that] he be given a little time here so that he could enter the queen’s service. Moreover, it seems to me from your letters that this was precisely the generous intention of His Highness. But since then M. Hattorf has informed Mr Handel via M. Kielmansegg that His Highness had dismissed him from his service, telling him that he could go wherever he pleased. In other words, he was given notice in a way which he found particularly mortifying. I will admit to you frankly that Mr Handel is nothing to me, but at the same time I must say that if I had been given a free hand for a week or two I could have resolved the whole affair to the satisfaction of both His Highness and Mr Handel, and even to the benefit of the elector’s service. The queen’s physician, who is an important man and enjoys the queen’s confidence, is his great patron and friend, and has the composer constantly at his house. Mr Handel could have been extremely useful, and has been on several occasions, by giving me information of circumstances which have often enlightened me as to the condition of the queen’s health. Not that the doctor tells him exactly how she is but, for example, when I have been informed by other reliable channels that the queen was ill, he has been able to tell me that on one particular night the physician slept at the queen’s residence, and other circumstances of this kind which provide illumination when taken in conjunction with other information. You must know that our Whigs rarely know anything about the queen’s health. [In return,] since the queen is more avid for stories about Hanover than anything else, the doctor can satisfy her curiosity when he is with her from his own information: you understand the stories to which I am referring. Afterwards they are passed on to some serious ecclesiastical gentlemen, and this has a marvellous effect. Perhaps you will not take this seriously, but I do. I arranged things so that Mr Handel could write to M. Kielmansegg to extricate himself gracefully, and I let slip a few words to inform him that, when some day His Highness comes here, he might re-enter his service.[7]
On
Tuesday the 7th of July [1713], both Houses of Parliament
met in order to their going to St. Paul’s
Church; But it was observ’d, that very few Members of the Whig Party, in either House, appear’d in that Solemnity, which is
not much to be wonder’d at; since it would have been preposterous, if not a
mocking of Religion, for Men to return Almighty God Thanks for a Peace, which
they had endeavour’d to prevent, and still disapproved. After Divine Service, and the singing Te Deum to excellent Musick, both Vocal
and Instrumental, compos’d by the famous Mr. Hendel, Dr. George Hooper,
Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells, preach’d before both Houses a
Sermon on this Text, Psalm cxxii. v. 7.
Peace be within thy Walls, and
Plenteousness within thy Palaces.[8]
[Kreienberg to unknown recipient in Hanover, 3/14 July 1713]
Sir,
I received your two letters of 30 June and 4 July yesterday, from which I see that you have finally received all of my letters...
I am pleased that you have written to me about Mr Handel. I had not expected that he would remain in His Highness’s service, nor was I considering that but merely the manner of his dismissal; I have done it in such a way that he is quite content, giving him to understand that he is by no means in disgrace with His Highness, and dropping a few words to the effect that he will be quite all right when the elector comes here. He will continue to tell me all he knows.[9]
Sep 26
On Sunday Morning last [26 September], his Majesty went to his Royal Chapel at St. James’s, ... Te Deum was sung, compos’d by Mr. Hendel, and a very fine Anthem was also sung. ...[10]
[1] Donald Burrows, “Handel and Hanover,” in Bach, Handel, Scarlatti Tercentenary Essays, ed. Peter Williams (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985), 35-60: 42-43; trans. From German.
[2] The Post Boy, no. 2781, Thursday 5 – Saturday 7 March 1712-3, [1].
[3] Dawk’s News-Letter, 7 March 1713; repr. Donald Burrows, “Handel and the English Chapel Royal during the Reigns of Queen Anne and King George I,” 2 vols. (Ph.D. dissertation, Open University, Milton Keynes, 1981), 1:102.
[4] [?] The Evening Post, Tuesday 17 – Thursday 19 March 1713; Dawk’s News-Letter, 19 March; repr., Donald Burrows, “Handel and the English Chapel Royal during the Reigns of Queen Anne and King George I,” 2 vols. (Ph.D. dissertation, Open University, Milton Keynes, 1981), 1:102.
[5] The Guardian, no. xxi, Saturday 4 April 1713, [2]; partly repr. Deutsch, Handel, 56.
[6] The British-Mercury, no. 410, Wednesday 13 May 1713, 5.
[7] Donald Burrows, “Handel and Hanover,” in Bach, Handel, Scarlatti Tercentenary Essays, ed. Peter Williams (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985), 44; trans. from French.
[8] See Ilias Chrissochoidis, Early Reception of Handel’s Oratorios, 1732-1784: Narrative –Studies – Documents (Ann Arbor: UMI, 2004), 666.
[9] Donald Burrows, “Handel and Hanover,” in Bach, Handel, Scarlatti Tercentenary Essays, ed. Peter Williams (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985), 45; trans. from French.
[10] [?] The Post Boy, repr., Donald Burrows, “Handel and the English Chapel Royal during the Reigns of Queen Anne and King George I,” 2 vols. (Ph.D. dissertation, Open University, Milton Keynes, 1981), 1:154.