The Place Händel and Jimi Hendrix Called Home

The Place Händel and Jimi Hendrix Called Home
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Only a single wall separates the houses of Georg Friedrich Händel and Jimi Hendrix - 200 years apart, two huge musical innovators chose Brook Street in Mayfair as their home. Händel was the very first resident of number 25, where he lived for 36 years. It is a typical townhouse in the Georgian style, just built around Händel’s time. The German composer moved there immediately after being named musical director for the Royal Chapel by King George II - here he created celebrated operas and instrumental pieces, from The Messiah to Music for the Royal Fireworks, and held rehearsals for his performances. “As Mr. Händel played his part, I couldn’t help but think of him as a necromancer in the midst of one of his spells,” a neighbour once said. Meanwhile, at number 23 is the house that Jimi Hendrix lived in with his girlfriend Kathy Etchingham in the whirlwind years of 1968 and 1969, those of Electric Ladyland and Woodstock to be clear. Apparently, the virtuoso guitarist liked decorating himself in a real hippy style with things he would pick up at the Portobello market. “It’s my first real house,” he told Kathy. Today the homes of the two musicians are connected into a single museum, Händel & Hendrix - a magical place to marvel at Jimi’s albums, admire the beloved artwork purchased by Handel, try an antique harpsichord and rock guitar, or even attend a concert, a show or a workshop, traveling through the sounds of history.

Francesca Grego - © 2020 ARTE.it for Bulgari Hotel London