- William Babell
William Babell (or Babel) (1689/1690 -
23 September 1723 ) was an Englishmusician ,composer and prolific arranger of vocal music forharpsichord .Life
He received his musical training from his father, Charles Babel, a bassoonist in the Drury Lane orchestra,
Johann Christoph Pepusch and possiblyGeorge Frideric Handel . He played the violin in the private band of George I, and appeared as a harpsichordist from 1711, often appearing with William Corbett,James Paisible and laterMatthew Dubourg . He was associated withLincoln's Inn Fields Theatre . From November 1718 until his death, he was organist ofAll Hallows, Bread Street , where he was succeeded by John Stanley.He wrote numerous keyboard arrangements of
aria s from the popularopera s of his time. These were published inFrance ,The Netherlands andGermany , as well as in England, and they became the basis of his musical reputation. His style was strongly influenced by his close acquaintance with Handel.Johann Mattheson considered he surpassed Handel as an organist virtuoso, though musical historianCharles Burney criticised his manner of playing arrangements, charging that he:Despite Burney's criticism, fellow musical historian Sir John Hawkins thought that they 'succeeded so well … as to make from it a book of lessons which few could play but himself, and which has long been deservedly celebrated.' Babell's transcription of arias from Handel's opera "Rinaldo" includes 'Vo' far guerra', which Handel meant as a showpiece for his harpsichord playing and is quite remarkable in its virtuosity; Babell's transcription was made from his memory of how Handel improvised in performances. [ [http://gfhandel.org/reviews/hwv007hm.htm Review of Rinaldo by Philippe Genaud mentions Babell's transcriptions] ] [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3870/is_200307/ai_n9237500/pg_5 Peter Holman: Did Handel invent the English keyboard concerto? - contains information relating to the Babell Handel transcriptions] ]Babell also wrote original sonatas for
flute ,violin andcontinuo ,concertos and a few other things. His slow movements are considered a valuable insight into early 18th-century practices of ornamentation and extemporization.His early death was attributed to 'intemperate habits’. He was buried in All Hallows Church,
Canonbury ,Islington .Printed works
*"The 3rd Book of the Ladys Entertainment, or Banquet of Musick" [harpsichord arrangements] (1709)
*"The 4th Book of the Ladys Entertainment" [harpsichord arrangements] (1716)
*"Suits of the Most Celebrated Lessons" [harpsichord arrangements of Handel, some original material] (1717), reprinted as "Suits of Harpsichord and Spinnet Lessons" (1718)
*"The Harpsichord Master Improved … with a Choice Collection of Newest and Most Air'y Lessons" (1718)
*"Trios de diefferents autheurs choises & mis en ordre par Mr Babel" [harpsichord arrangements] (1720)
*"XII Solos … with Proper Graces Adapted to Each Adagio", book 1 (violin/oboe, harpsichord) (c.1725)
*"XII Solos … with Proper Graces Adapted to Each Adagio", book 2 (violin/oboe/flute, harpsichord)
*"Concertos in 7 Parts" for violins and small flute, or sixth flute (sopranorecorder in D), op.3 (c.1726)Other works for solo harpsichord survive in manuscript.
ources and references
*Gerald Gifford (with Terence Best): 'Babell [Babel] , William', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy, [http://www.grovemusic.com/shared/views/article.html?section=music.01648#music.01648 http://www.grovemusic.com/] , (accessed
2007-05-01 )
*J. A. F. Maitland, ‘Babell, William (1689/90–1723)’, rev. K. D. Reynolds, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/963 http://www.oxforddnb.com/] , (accessed2007-05-01 )Further reading
*B. Gustafson: "The Legacy in Instrumental Music of Charles Babel, Prolific Transcriber of Lully's Music"
*G. Pont: "An Early 18th-Century Manuscript of Harpsichord Music: William Babell and Handel's Vo' far guerra", British Library Journal, xxi (1996), 176–83
*F. Palmer: "William Babell's Twenty-Four Oboe Sonatas", Double Reed, iv/2 (1981), 23cores
*IMSLP2|id=Works_for_Organ_%26_Harpsichord_(Handel%2C_George_Frideric)|cname=Works for Organ and Harpsichord - the transcriptions from Handel in the complete Handel edition (includes 'Vo' far guerra')
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