The Life of George Frederick Handel Author:William Smyth Rockstro Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. THE JOURNEY TO BERLIN. Meister Gorge proved himself as good as his word. On his return to Halle, he placed Georg Friedrich under the then Orga... more »nist of the Liebfrauenkirche,1 Friedrich Wilhelm Zachau—an enthusiastic young Musician, of more than average talent, who soon won the child's affection; taught him to play upon the Organ, the Harpsichord, the Violin, the Hautboy, and almost every other instrument in common use in the Orchestras of the period; instructed him. in the arts of Counterpoint and Fugue ; and did the best he could for him in every way, to the best of his own ability.2 How time was found for the prosecution of a course of teclmical study so comprehensive as this, side by side with 1 The ' Oberpfarrkirche zu Unser Lieben Franen zu Halle' forms the chief attraction of the Market-place, which it bounds on the north side. The main body of the Chureh was built in 1530-54; but the towers—two of them connected by a bridge —are of much earlier date. It is called, indiscriminately, the Liebfranenkirohe, the Marienkirche, the Hauptkirche, and the Kil/-in- am Harktplatz. 2 Friedrich Wilhelm Zachan was born, in Leipzig, on the 19th of November, 1663. He was elected Organist of the Liebfrauenkirche at Halle, in 1684, and retained the appointment until hia death, which took place on the 14th of August, 1721. A considerable number of his compositions, chiefly Church Cantatasthe classical education indispensable to a student of jurisprudence, it is not very easy to understand; but we know that the child made equal progress in both. "While the father was more than satisfied with his advancement in Latin, the rapidity with which he overcame the most formidable difficulties connected with the theory and practice of Music was almost incredible. His command ov...« less