Edition Zefiro

Early music scores for sale online

William Babell

William Babell (or Babel) (c. 1690 – 23 September 1723) was an English musician, composer and prolific arranger of vocal music for harpsichord.

He received his musical training from his father, Charles Babel, a bassoonist in the Drury Lane orchestra, Johann Christoph Pepusch and possibly George Frideric Handel. He played violin in the private band of George I and appeared as a harpsichordist from 1711, often appearing with William Corbett, James Paisible and later Matthew Dubourg. He was associated with Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theatre.  From November 1718 until his death, he was organist at All Hallows, Bread Street, and was succeeded by John Stanley.

He wrote numerous keyboard arrangements of arias from popular operas of his time. These were published in France, the Netherlands and Germany as well as in England, and formed the basis of his musical reputation. His style was strongly influenced by his close acquaintance with Handel. Johann Mattheson thought he surpassed Handel as an organ virtuoso, but music historian Charles Burney (b. 1726) criticised his manner of playing arrangements, charging that he:

“acquired great celebrity by wire-drawing the favourite songs of the opera of Rinaldo, and others of the same period, into showy and brilliant lessons, which by mere rapidity of finger in playing single sounds, without the assistance of taste, expression, harmony or modulation, enabled the performer to astonish ignorance, and acquire the reputation of a great player at a small expence … Mr Babel … at once gratifies idleness and vanity.”

Despite Burney’s criticism, fellow music historian Sir John Hawkins (b. 1719) thought 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 intended 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.  In 1894, Friedrich Chrysander published Babell’s arrangement of ‘Vo’ far guerra’ in the Händel-Gesellschaft volume 48.

Babell also wrote original sonatas for violin or oboe and continuo, concertos and other miscellaneous works. His slow movements are thought to show valuable insight into early 18th-century practices of ornamentation and extemporisation. The six Concertos op.3 in 7 parts were published in 1726 by John Walsh, three years after the composer’s death. They are variously for one or more sixth flutes or treble recorders.

His early death was attributed to ‘intemperate habits’. He died in Canonbury, Islington and was buried in All Hallows Church, Bread Street.