Born: February 23, 1685; Halle,
Germany
Died: April 14, 1759; London, England
Burial place: Westminster Abbey
George Frideric Handel is a German,
later British, Baroque composer, born on February 23, 1685 and died on April
14, 1759. Handel spent most of his musical career in London, England, becoming
famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi and organ concertos.
Handel House, birthplace of Handel
He studied music in Halle, where he was born, worked as a composer in Hamburg
and Italy, settled in London in 1712 and then became a naturalized British
subject in 1727. Handel was greatly influenced by the great composers of the
Italian Baroque and the traditional polyphonic choral style of medieval
Germany.
Portrait of Handel, by Balthasar Denner (c. 1726–1728)
Gaining a good response by
composing the oratorio “Alexander's Feast” in 1736, Handel composed “Messiah”
in 1742 and succeeded with it. Handel, who lived in England for nearly 50
years, died in 1759, his funeral was held as a national honours, and his body
was buried in the Westminster Abbey in London.
Handel (centre) and King George I on the River Thames, 17 July 1717
Born in the same year as Johann
Sebastian Bach and Domenico Scarlatti, Handel is regarded as one of the
greatest composers of the Baroque era. His works such as Messiah, Water Music,
and Music for the Royal Fireworks still remain steady popularity.
A carved marble statue of Handel at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (1738)
Handel
composed more than 40 opera serias during his career, and since the late 1960s,
interest in his operas has increased with the revival of Baroque music.
Thank you.
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