George Frideric Handel, Composer of Messiah

The Sowers

by Charles Ludwig, Arthur Schneider (Illustrator)

A child prodigy and musical genius, he was inspired by God to write "The Messiah.".

Genres: Biography, History, Music, Christian, Childrens

186 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1987

Reviews

[Sarah McKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved learning more about Handel and the things he went through in his life. The part when he wrote Messiah was so moving. I loved knowing more about the history of the time and how the tradition of standing for the performance of the Hallelujah Chorus came to be. Also inspired me to learn more about Martin Luther and strengthened my love for the hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God," which was written by Martin Luther.

[LaWindes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good description of Handel's upstairs and downs. Clear presentation of his faith and life's purpose. Readers appreciate Handel's genius and talent (which he worked hard to develop). Lots of musical history and background for compositions, especially the "Messiah".

[F · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a lot of good information about Handel and I would have given it 4-5 stars but the author pulls a ridiculous stunt on the reader [to his credit he admits it in the explanatory notes before chapter 1 but what if some do not read said notes?]
The author introduces an imaginary cat. Imaginary in that it did not exist or help Handel in any way but is crucial to early parts of the story. The cat is prominent in 8 of the 20 chapters and is mentioned elsewhere also. The author also makes up an important encounter Handel has with a stranger. The fiction just has NO part in a serious biography. Sorry- you lose 2 stars.

[Melissa Blanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't understand why people started repudiating him - then, from there, he became less popular. I cried at the end when he died. I really didn't know much about him until I read this book. I like this book pretty well, but the author was rather curt - he didn't go into detail about some things which could have been understood better if described more. My rating is due to the subject matter, not the writing style.
my rating: 9

[Cherlynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is extraordinary and very interesting. Ludwig expertly intertwines history and personal experiences of GF Handel. Ludwig creates the narrative in such a way that you can understand the important historical figure that GF Handel was. However, the chapters are sometimes choppy as he skips from one period in time to another. Without exact historical records to fill in the gaps, Ludwig leaves us with signficant gaps in the storyline as well. The 'balance' between biography and narrative gets lost in the gaps. Nevertheless, this is a great book for youth and adults.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great short read about Handel and his journey to becoming one of the greatest composers of all time. I enjoyed learning about his childhood and perseverance in following his dreams.