Most recent posts appear below. Typically these are short pieces that continue my look at current situations and compare them with similar aspects of life in Handel’s era, the 1700s. Characters whose comments are quoted are fictional people from my book The Handel Letters, but their views do sometimes overlap with my own.
- Glad to Be Here
This year, Thanksgiving falls on my birthday. I am certainly thankful to still be here. It is truly painful to realize how many people we have lost to this pandemic, here in the US and worldwide. Here I gratefully celebrate my continuing existence by singing an aria from an early work by one of my … Continue reading Glad to Be Here - Relationships during Covid-19
Handel blog 15* From Katherine: I recently heard from a much younger friend about her difficulty in maintaining a good relationship with her longtime boyfriend during this pandemic. I can imagine all kinds of scenarios that are especially stressful—all the way from people isolated all by themselves to families overwhelmed by too many people in … Continue reading Relationships during Covid-19 - Love song to a tree
Handel blog 14* From Katherine: Hello, friends. Today is Arbor Day, a day to celebrate, nourish, and plant trees. I think it is wonderful that Handel was one of the first to have a hit song celebrating a tree—his “Ombra mia fù.” Today, people usually know it as Handel’s Largo, and it has been used … Continue reading Love song to a tree - Losing our elders
Handel blog 13* Remember me when I am gone awayGone far away into the silent landWhen you can no more hold me by the hand. ~Christina Rossetti From Katherine: Each day of this pandemic brings more and more losses of older Americans, especially those living in nursing homes. You can read some discussion of the … Continue reading Losing our elders - No chance to mourn
Handel blog 11* From Katherine: Several times, in our phone conversations, Forella has expressed her gratitude at having Angela and Annie and Randolph there with her in her roomy townhouse while this pandemic oozes around outside. Ross has adhered to the advice not to visit her, and she sees the wisdom in that, she admits. … Continue reading No chance to mourn - Masks: Death Mask
Handel blog 10* From Katherine: There has been much talk of the need for cloth or surgical masks during this pandemic. And we considered the role of the Doctor’s mask during the last of the Plague years in Europe. Our Handel discussion raises the issue of yet another kind of mask. Two hundred sixty-one years … Continue reading Masks: Death Mask - Concerts at home
Handel blog 9* From Katherine: Recently one of the Met’s great sopranos, Joyce DiDonato, who had performed in Handel’s Agrippina, was forced to abandon rehearsals for Massenet’s Werner as the coronavirus swept through New York City. She and her co-star, Piotr Beczala, performed arias from Werner in DiDonato’s apartment living room. You can see some … Continue reading Concerts at home - Helping with home crafts
Handel blog 7* From Katherine: I have several friends who are making surgical style facemasks for family, friends, health care workers, farm workers, or whoever needs them. There is information online about patterns and the best kind of material, and people have been innovative in finding ways to make the masks more effective, reusable, and … Continue reading Helping with home crafts - Maybe it’s misinformation
Handel blog 6* From Katherine: If you watch television, some sources say do wear a mask. Others say it is unnecessary, just a recommendation. Some say find that malaria medicine; it will cure the virus. Doctors say nothing has been proven to work against COVID-19. Some news sources say things are starting to turn around. … Continue reading Maybe it’s misinformation - And sigh for freedom
Handel blog 5* From Katherine: This isolation is definitely beginning to be irksome, even to an introvert like me. The practice of quarantining people who have a contagious illness and requiring people who are well to isolate themselves is one that became common as the Plague swept through parts of Europe in the mid-1600s, shortly … Continue reading And sigh for freedom - Portraits
Handel blog 4* From Katherine: Forella reminded me that a lot of us who are in the most “vulnerable” age bracket with COVID-19—and I guess that would be all of us except Angela—a lot of us are thinking more seriously about what we would want to leave our loved ones if we do in fact … Continue reading Portraits - Coronavirus masks
Handel blog 3* From Katherine: Well, we talked about the Plague song “O du lieber Augustin” last time. I’ve seen quite a few songs popping up on social media—either parodies that reference the coronavirus or sometimes simply old songs meant to distract us from our worries. But today I wanted to bring together comments some … Continue reading Coronavirus masks - Du lieber AugustinHandel blog 2* From Katherine: Most of you have signed on for this little Handel Seminar extension. Forella, I think you had a great idea! Thanks. I’ll post the comments that came in and set them up with a little editing. I know we could do this without this extra step, but that would take … Continue reading Du lieber Augustin
- The Characters in The Handel Letters
Characters in The Handel Letters The Handel Letters: A Biographical Conversation is a different sort of biography, one that makes use of a fictional set of characters from our own time to examine the life and musical career of the composer George Frideric Handel. This work presents Handel’s life through a series of letters and … Continue reading The Characters in The Handel Letters - Introducing This Blog about Handel and Books and Folklore
A Blog about Handel and Books and Teaching and Folklore February 5, 2018 I may eventually move on to another task in writing this blog, but for now my aim is to expand upon some of the content and ideas in my recently published book, The Handel Letters: A Biographical Conversation, and, hopefully, to stimulate … Continue reading Introducing This Blog about Handel and Books and Folklore