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HANDEL'S BORROWINGS: Borrowings from other composers...were frequent not only in the work of Handel, but other 18-Century composers also. Most of Handel's borrowings were from his own earlier works, but a considerable number were from other composers; three duets and eleven of the twenty-eight choruses of Israel in Egypt, for example, were taken in whole or in part from from the music of others, while four choruses were arrangements from earlier works by Handel himself. Further borrowings, although not on such an extensive scale, have been traced in many of Handel's compositions written after 1737. It has been conjectured that Handel resorted to borrowing as a means of overcoming the inertia that sometimes afflicted him when he was beginning a new work, particularly after 1737, when he had suffered a paralytic stroke and nervous collapse. However that may be, Handel is not to be criticized as a modern composer might be for plagiarism. Borrowing, transcribing, adapting, rearranging, parodying, were universal and accepted practices. When Handel borrowed, he mroe often than not, repaid with interest, clothing the borrowed material with new beauty and preserving it for generations that otherwise would scarcely have known of its existence.

SUMMARY: Handel's greatness and historical significance rest largely on his contribution to the living repertory of performed. His music aged well, because he took up devices then in the air that became important in the new style of the mid-18th century. Handel's emphasis on melody and harmony, as compared to the more strictly contrapuntal procedures of Bach, allied him with the vogues of his time. As a choral composer in the grand style he was without peer. He was a consummate master of contrast not only in choral music but in all fields that he touched. His deliberate appeal to a middle-class audience in the oratorios was one of the first manifestations of a social change which continued throughout the latter half of the century and which had far-reaching effects on music.

Grout, Donald. A History of Western Music, page 326, 4th edition

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I love that phrase, Hornerism. It's like inventing a new verb, To Horner, meaning to steal everything in sight and make it far less beautiful than what Handel did to the things he cribbed.

I agree with Lou's assessment of Grout.

the proper grammar would be like this:

"Ouch! I've been lanced!"

Likewise, when you open your mouth Shaun, one has to say:

"Ouch! I've been assed!" or "I've been shauned!"

Maybe it doesn't matter at all. I've listened to a lot of cribbed film music or concert pieces like 'Variations on a theme of so & so's' that have been great.

For me though it's a question of purpose. Sure I can rip others off and repeat myself and scam a pretty good career out of it, but what am I doing for people if I can't create something both new and good.

If you're a professional, you should be able to do your job well and even improve on it over time, not coast and decay.

If you call yourself a composer, you should be able to compose, you should look forward to doing new stuff, to exercising and showing off your prowess, topping yourself as much as you can.

If you can't, you should retire and try something else, let people who can do the work into the field. Only frauds keep on going after they've burned out.

Of course you can come back. Herrmann's music was getting pretty thin for a number of years but he finished up with Obsession and Taxi Driver, among the finest scores of his entire output.

If Horner were to get a scoring assignment and do with it the kind of thing he did when he first came on the scene, I'd be the first to anoint him.

Instead I wish him an early out from the biz. He gets points for sheer stubborness, but with each new score, he just tarnishes the rep of film music that golden & silver age composers worked hard to shore up against the critics of their time. Now everything they accused film composers of is true.

As for Monsieur Goldberg, I have two questions about the whole constipation thing: Firstly, does it satisfy censors or fool even the dullest among us if you insert a hyphen into the word '**** ?'
Secondly, and only as a matter of particularity, I must question the wisdom of this sort of reference being made by someone with the first name 'Lou.'

2) I agree, such pearls of wisdom should come from an Alex or Blake, but, alas, my parents had other ideas....

Examples: "He fishchipped my swearing. He fishchipped the whole topic." Or, "I fishchipped myself before anyone could say or accuse me of anything."

I know, I'm an ass.

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Originally posted by Lou Goldberg:
I know, I'm an ass.

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