George Frideric Handel

Handel's music is characterized by memorable, often majestic melodies, clear harmonic progressions, and dramatic contrasts of texture and dynamics. His vocal writing exploits da capo aria form with elaborate ornamentation, and he excels at creating monumental choral effects. Orchestration is colorful for the period, using trumpets and timpani for grandeur. He could write simple pastoral beauty or overwhelming grandeur with equal facility.

He studied Italian opera in Italy, absorbing Scarlatti and Corelli, then synthesized Italian lyricism with German counterpoint (he studied with Zachow). Purcell's English choral tradition influenced his oratorios. His influence on the classical period (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven) was enormous—they studied his scores and absorbed his dramatic pacing.

Early success as opera composer in Italy and Germany led to London appointment. Decades of Italian opera production (1710s-1730s) established him as England's leading composer. When opera seria fell from fashion, he reinvented himself with English oratorios (1730s-1750s), creating a new genre. Final years brought blindness but continued composing with assistance.

The premiere of 'Messiah' in Dublin (1742) was so packed that women were asked not to wear hoops and men not to wear swords to make room for more people. The work raised money for charity, and Handel refused to profit from it personally, donating his share to charitable institutions—a practice he maintained throughout his life.

He was an astute businessman who managed his own opera companies, often losing and making fortunes with remarkable resilience. His financial acumen and theatrical instincts made him more than just a composer—he was impresario, producer, and entrepreneur, very unusual for his time.

'Messiah' appears constantly, especially at Christmas and Easter—it's inescapable and beloved. Water Music and Fireworks Music are pops concert staples. His operas have experienced major revivals since the 1950s Baroque revival, with Giulio Cesare, Rinaldo, and others entering standard repertoire. Oratorios beyond Messiah (Israel in Egypt, Saul, Solomon) appear regularly. He's absolutely central to Baroque programming and evergreen.