George Frideric Handel
1685-1759 · German-British (Halle/London) · Baroque
Known for: Baroque master who composed Messiah, Water Music, and became Britain's most celebrated composer
Handel was born the same year as Bach but led a completely different life - cosmopolitan, entrepreneurial, and public. He moved from Germany to Italy to England, became a British citizen, and managed opera companies before reinventing himself as an oratorio composer.
He was a large, gregarious man with a legendary appetite and hot temper. He went blind late in life but continued performing. King George II supposedly stood during the Hallelujah Chorus, creating a tradition that persists today.
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