Page:Anecdotes of Great Musicians.djvu/193

Rh spoke the word," and the "Hailstone") were taken almost note for note from works of Stradella. In the second part of this oratorio are portions from a magnificat by Erba, composed about 1690. A certain Te Deum by Uria furnished him with material for no less than nine numbers of the "Dettingen Te Deum," and six of the oratorio, "Saul," and his opera, "Theodora," also betrays to some degree the same source.

For his "Time and Truth," parts of an unpublished work by Graun were made to serve; and the chorus, "Hear Jacob's God," from "Samson," is the "Plorate Filiæ," from Carissimi's "Jephtha." Even the favorite "Harmonious Blacksmith" has been traced to Corelli.

Dr. Crotch once made a list of twenty-nine composers from Josquin des Pres to Hummel, who furnished the "Dear Saxon" with material which he incorporated into works "by Händel."

We might say of Händel's works as a musician once said of a certain composer's oratorio, "Well, if another flood should occur, it would be well to preserve his music as affording specimens of the works of all previous composers."

There is one thing about Händel's appropriations, however, that must not be overlooked. It was the man's very genius that enabled him to be such a thief. A lesser genius would have been found out at once, and have been hissed off the stage. But Händel's abilities transformed everything he touched, to a greater or less degree, and imparted to it a certain Händelian flavor that one can hardly mistake. His castles were frequently builded upon other men's foundations; but because of the character and treatment of the superstructure we forgive this borrowed basis. The world is richer for his work; yet there will arise the question, why, when he could have depended entirely on his own genius, he did not do so. As among the old Roman gods some lied and some stole, so among our musical gods Händel must be remembered as the thief par excellence.