‘Words’ vs Music

Today we expect a composer to start with a great text and then “paint” it in sound. But in the early 1700s, many composers treated words as optional packaging. Counterpoint—music as mathematics—was the main event. The question wasn’t “does this match the poem?” but “is this good music?”

Even Handel could be ruthless about it. Someone once dared to advise him what kind of music should go with certain words. Handel exploded:

“What! You teach me music? My music is good music. Damn your words! Here—these are my ideas; you go and make words to them.”

And yet, in his bigger works—especially the oratorios—Handel chose his texts carefully from Scripture, and in many cases the music fits the meaning beautifully.