George Frideric Handel

Born on February 23, 1685 in Halle, Germany, George Frideric Handel is widely considered one of the greatest baroque composers. Handel was the consummate 18-century traveler, performer, composer, and entrepreneur; he eventually settled down in London, where he became a naturalized British citizen.

In 1719 Handel became the music director of the newly-founded Royal Academy of Music, a company organized to establish Italian opera on the London stage; important Handel operas written for this company include Radamisto, Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Tamerlano and Rodelinda.  He also composed four anthems for the coronation of George II (including “Zadok the Priest,” which has been performed at every British coronation since). In 1732 he revived Esther (the first English oratorio), and for the rest of the decade he mixed Italian operas and English-language concert works together.

Handel continued to live a dramatic and productive life during the 1740s, writing diverse works ranging from Biblical dramatic oratorios (Samson, Belshazzar, Solomon), secular music dramas based on Greek classical tragedies (Semele and Hercules) and patriotic concert works (Judas Maccbaeus). His famous oratorio Messiah was enthusiastically received at its première (Dublin, 1742) though it became the subject of great controversy following its London début a year later.

He died on April 14, 1759 and was buried in Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey.

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