Literary Arts Presents the Portland Book Festival Portland Oregon

PuzzleWatch: How Much Can You Handel?

"Messiah" season is nearly upon us, but the baroque composer wrote hundreds of other works: operas, cantatas, chamber music, and more. How many do you know?

|

Portrait of George Frideric Handel by Thomas Hudson, 1741.

It’s the start of the holiday music season and someone asks you, “Hey, you going to the Handel?” 

You could have a bit of fun and respond, “Oh, what’s playing? Tolomeo, Theodora, or Triumph of Time and Truth, perhaps?”  Or you could look at the skies and respond, “Oh, someone’s doing Water Music?” But instead of enduring a scowl and a head shake you simply say, “Yeah, on Saturday, how about you?” That’ll do.

If you’re in Portland, they must be referring to Portland Baroque Orchestra and Cappella Romana and George Frideric Handel’s Messiah. It’s been a Portland Christmas tradition since 2006 and you can catch it in PDX on December 9, 10, and 11.

But Handel was a prolific composer of many other fine pieces, too: chamber music, organ works, 120 cantatas, 42 operas and 29 oratorios, including those mentioned above – and more. So, let’s see what you know about this great baroque composer in this month’s PuzzleWatch crossword, “How Much Can You Handel?”

Watch out for a little puzzle trickery as the performing groups have had their bonds torn asunder. Don’t worry – you’ll figure it out and get them back together before the downbeat.

By the way, PBO is performing Water Music in March of 2023.

How Much Can You Handel? – Click here for an interactive puzzle you can fill out in your web browser

Download the puzzle as a printable PDF

Download the answer key

Daryl Browne is a music educator, alto, flutist and writer who lives in Beaverton, Oregon.

SHARE:
Chamber Music Northwest Orion Quartet The Old Church Portland Oregon
Kalakendra An Evening of Indian Classical Music First Baptist Church Portland Oregon
Portland Center Stage presents Hair at the Armory Portland Oregon
Seattle Opera, Alcina, Handel's Story of Sorcery, McCaw Hall, Seattle Washington
Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts Biennial, Willamette University, Salem Oregon
Hallie Ford Museum of Art at 25, Highlights from the permanent collection, Willamette University, Salem Oregon
City of Hillsboro Walters Cultural Arts Center Guy Davis Hillsboro Oregon
Hand2Mouth Theatre Home Land Live Performance Portland Oregon
Portland Playhouse Roald Dahl Matilda the Musical Portland Oregon
Literary Arts Presents the Portland Book Festival Portland Oregon
NW Dance Project Sharing Stories Newmark Theatre Portland Oregon
The Dalles Art Center Lori Mason A Life In Pattern The Dalles Oregon
Maryhill Museum of Art Columbia Gorge Washington
Portland State University College of the Arts
Lincoln County Historical Society Pacific Maritime Heritage Center The Curious World of Seaweed Newport Oregon
Oregon Cultural Trust tax credit donate
Arts Education series
We do this work for you.

Give to our GROW FUND.