The Note Books Of Samuel Butler

Handel and Music

I am engaged to and her name and address are Miss B.
Richmond. His address is W. W. Esq. Manchester.

" I remain, Yours truly W. D. C."

I said it reminded me of the opening bars of " Welcome,
welcome, Mighty King " in Saul:

Handel's Shower of Rain

The falling shower in the air " As cheers the sun " in
Joshua is, I think, the finest description of a warm sunny
refreshing rain that I have ever come across and one of the
most wonderfully descriptive pieces of music that even
Handel ever did.

Theodora and Susanna

In my preface to Evolution Old and New I imply a certain
dissatisfaction with Theodora and Susannat and imply also
that Handel himself was so far dissatisfied that in his next
work, Jephtha (which I see I inadvertently called his last),
he returned to his earlier manner. It is true that these
works are not in Handel's usual manner; they are more
difficult and more in the style of Bach. I am glad that
Handel gave us these two examples of a slightly (for it
is not much) varied manner and I am interested to
observe that he did not adhere to that manner in JepMIia,
but I should be sorry to convey an impression that I
think Theodora and Susanna are in any way unworthy
of Handel. I prefer both to Judas Maccabaus which, in
spite of the many fine things it contains, I like perhaps
the least of all his oratorios. I have played Theodora and