George handel brief biography of benjamin franklin

I have written extensively on this blog and elsewhere about how the distinction between classical and popular music arose.

(See, for example, “Popular Music: the Birth of an Idea.”)  Years before it became apparent, Benjamin Franklin anticipated it when he advised his brother on how to write a popular ballad: don’t use Handel’s music for a model.

Peter Franklin had written a ballad text disapproving of expensive foppery and encouraging hard work and thriftiness.

Benjamin thought it very good, but pointed out that its poetic meter did not resemble that of any of the common and well-known tunes. That would have been an advantage for making it popular. As it was, it required an original tune.

Franklin’s critique of contemporary composers

Benjamin Franklin thought the prevailing taste among composers most unsuitable for a popular song: “They are admirable at pleasing practiced