Special Event Amateur Radio Station Y85GFH

The special event amateur radio station Y85GFH was operated in the period from 19th through 27. February, 1985 on occasion of the 300th anniversary of the birth of George Frederic[k] Handel and the 34th Handel Festival of the town of Halle. This activity was organized in collaboration with the George Frederic[k] Handel Centre of Halle. 10 radio amateurs of the Y75ZH amateur radio club and the town of Halle took part: Y75ZH, Reinhard Krause; Y75YH, Roland Unger; Y75XH, Robert Müberg; Y75UH, Klaus Spillner; Y21JH, Ernst-Jürgen Haberland; Y23MH, Eckehard Kleine; Y24BH, Horst Rolle; Y24OH, Adelbert Wiegeleben; Y24SH, Friedrich Schulze and Y24ZH, Rolf Zschenker.


G. F. Handel Painting by Philippe Mercier, 1748	G. F. Handel Mezzotint by J. Faber, 1748/49	Handel's tomb in Westminster Abbey L. F. Roubiliac, 1762
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Our QSL card was designed by Prof. Gerhard Voigt. (Enlarged Figure: 652*945 pt
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George Frederic[k] Handel was born on February 24, 1685 in Halle, Germany. He was one of the greatest composers of the late baroque period. After his 17th birthday, was as church organist in Halle. 1703 to Hamburg, 1706 to Italy (Florence, Rome, Venice). Musical director to prince of Hanover (1710). He enjoyed great success in London with the opera Rinaldo (1711) and remained in England (from 1712). He was naturalized in 1727. Musical director for Duke of Chandos at Cannons (1717-20), director of Royal Academy of Music (1720-28), director (with Heidegger) of the King's Theatre, Covent Garden (1728-34), director of Rich's new theater in Covent Garden (1735-37). His eyesight began to fail in 1751. Handel died in London on April 14, 1759.

Operas:: Almira (1705, his first opera), Rodrigo (1707, Florence), Agrippina (1709, Venice), Rinaldo (1711), Il pastor fido (1712), Radamisto (1720), Giulio Cesare (1724), Tamerlano (1724), Rodelinda (1725), Scipione (1726), Sosarme (1732), Serse (1738), Deidamia (1741, his last opera).

Oratorios: La Resurrezione (1708, Rome), Esther (1732, orig. Haman and Mordecai, 1720), Athalia (1733), Alexander's Feast (1736), Saul (1739), Israel in Egypt (1739), The Messiah (1742), Samson (1743), Semele (1744), Hercules (1745), Belshazzar (1745), Judas Maccabaeus (1746), Solomon (1749), Jephthah (1752).

Instrumental: 6 concerti for oboe, 21 organ concerti (for instance solo concertos of op. 4 (1736, five for organ and one for harp) and the 12 concerti grossi of op. 6 (1739)). Many overtures, chamber works, harpsichord works. Water Music (1717, concerto grosso op. 25) and Fireworks Music (1749, concerto grosso op. 26).

Statistik - Statistics

1415 radio contacts, 831 in telegraphy (CW), with radio amateurs from 61 countries of 6 continents. A Teltow 215c transceiver (100 W output) and dipole antennas were used.

Radio contacts per band.

80 m band	967	68,3%
40 m band	198	14,0%
20 m band	247	17,5%
15 m band	2
10 m band	1

Radio contacts to selected countries.

GDR	321
Soviet Union, USSR	394
Germany, Fed. Republic	167
United Kingdom	85
U.S.A.	26