Georg Friedrich Haendel

The total duration of this music is around 2 minutes. This guitar piece is suitable for a beginner guitarist - it is mainly played in the open position. The piece has pickup notes on the 3rd and 4th beats which is typical of a gavotte in Baroque music. The piece begins in the key of G major, and then modulates into the dominant key, D major, in bar 9. In bar 17 there is a quieter section which is in the key of B minor, this is the relative minor key of D major. The tempo of this piece is marked as Allegretto.

The German-born George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was a famous Baroque composer who lived much of his life in Britain. He was successful as a composer of oratorios, anthems, operas and organ concertos. Handel received his education in Germany and Italy before settling in Britain in 1712. He set out to supply the English nobility with Italian Opera, and within 15 years had successfully established three commercial opera companies. After a physical breakdown in 1737 he began to address the musical needs of the middle-class of society. After the success of "Alexander's Feast" in 1736 he chose to concentrate on English choral works. The Oratorio "Messiah" (1742) was well received, and thereafter he never performed an Italian opera again. Handel's coronation anthem "Zadok the Priest", has been performed at every British coronation since George II's accession to the throne in 1727.