George Frideric Handel

NAME George Frideric Handel (born Georg Friedrich Händel)

WHAT FAMOUS FOR  Baroque composer, best known for his oratorios, operas, anthems, and concerti grossi, including Messiah, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks.

BIRTH George Frideric Handel was born on February 23, 1685, in Halle, Saxony (now part of Germany). Interestingly, his gravestone at Westminster Abbey records his birth year as 1684, which reflects the old English calendar system where the new year began on March 25 rather than January 1.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Handel came from a prosperous middle-class family of Silesian origin. His grandfather, Valentine Handel, was a master coppersmith at Breslau. His father, Georg Händel, was a distinguished barber-surgeon who served various courts, including the armies of Saxony, Sweden, France, and finally Duke Augustus of Saxony. He was 63 years old when George was born and died when his son was 11. His father was described as "a man of gigantic stature, serious, severe, energetic, religiously attached to duty, upright and affable".  (1)

His mother, Dorothea Taust, was the daughter of a pastor and thirty years younger than her husband. She came from a clerical family and was described as having "a calm courage" and being "imbued with the Bible".

Handel's mother encouraged her son’s interest in music, though his father initially forbade it.

CHILDHOOD Handel displayed musical talent from an early age, but his father objected to a musical career, preferring him to study law. His father forbade him from owning musical instruments, calling music "musical nonsense". However, with his mother's support, Handel secretly practiced music. He smuggled a small clavichord to the top of the house and played quietly at night while the family slept.  (2)

During a trip to Weissenfels the eight-year-old George Frideric was lifted onto an organ's stool, where he surprised everyone with his playing, revealing his hidden musical abilities. This performance helped convince his father to allow him to take lessons in musical composition  (2)

EDUCATION Handel's formal education began at the Lateinschule in Halle, where he studied language, literature, and music. 

Handel's father engaged the organist at the Halle parish church, the young Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow, to give his son music lessons.  Zachow taught him organ, harpsichord, violin, oboe, counterpoint, and composition. Under Zachow's tutelage, Handel mastered composing for multiple instruments by age ten. 

At his father's insistence, in 1702 he enrolled as a law student at the University of Halle, but his passion for music prevailed, and he did not remain enrolled for long.

CAREER RECORD 1702 Handel's career began when he accepted a position as organist at Halle Cathedral at age seventeen.

1703: Played violin and harpsichord at Hamburg’s Oper am Gänsemarkt, where his first operas Almira and Nero were staged.

1706–1710: Traveled in Italy, meeting leading composers and refining his melodic style.

1709: Agrippina brought him international fame.

1710: Became Musical Director to the Elector of Hanover, later King George I of England.

1711: London debut with Rinaldo, a sensation despite critical hostility.

1712: Settled in London permanently, earning royal favor and a pension from Queen Anne.

1713:  Appointed Composer of Musick to the Chapel Royal

1717: Composed Water Music for King George I’s Thames party—so enjoyed that it was played three times in one night.

1720s: Served as Master of the Orchestra at the Royal Academy of Music.

1742: Completed Messiah after three weeks of coffee-fueled work. Premiered in Dublin to great acclaim.

1746: Wrote Judas Maccabaeus to honor the Duke of Cumberland’s victory at Culloden.

1749: Music for the Royal Fireworks premiered to a massive crowd, though fireworks caused fires and panic.

In later years, despite blindness, he continued performing and composing.

APPEARANCE Portraits depict Handel as a stout, powerfully built man with a round face, often wearing a large powdered wig typical of the period. He had blue eyes, a birthmark on his left cheek and a formidable and commanding presence.

Sir John Hawkins wrote that he was "somewhat corpulent, and unwieldy in his motions" with "rocking motion" in his walk due to bowed legs. However, his countenance was described as "placid, bespeaking dignity tempered with benevolence" with "finely marked" features. 

Charles Burney noted his face was "full of fire and dignity" which "impressed ideas of superiority and genius". He had characteristic blue eyes and a birthmark on his left cheek.

George Frideric Handel by Balthasar Denner

FASHION Handel was known for wearing "an enormous white wig" which became his characteristic attribute. According to Charles Burney, when things went well at performances, his wig had "a certain nod, or vibration, which manifested his pleasure and satisfaction," but without it, observers could tell he was out of humor. (4)

Handel dressed in the elaborate fashion of his time, wearing silk satin coats with buttons, fine chiffon neckerchiefs, and gold brocade waistcoats. His style of dress reflected his status and wealth among London society.

CHARACTER Handel was crusty, blunt, and quick-tempered, yet deeply devoted to his art. He famously threatened to throw soprano Francesca Cuzzoni out of a window when she refused to sing an aria he had written for her. Despite his fiery temperament, he was quick to recover from anger and never held grudges. (3)

When things were calm he was gentle, kind and compassionate and was known for his charitable work. However, he also had a notorious temper and was quick-tempered and impatient. Handel had "great vitality and was an energetic worker" with "absolute integrity" and paid his singers and orchestra well. (5)

SPEAKING VOICE Handel spoke multiple languages fluently, including German, Italian, French, and English. He would have spoken Italian to his singers and French or German at court. 

Handel retained a strong German accent throughout his life when speaking English. Contemporary accounts suggest he was comfortable in English but "liable to lapse into one of a handful of other languages under stress". (6)

SENSE OF HUMOUR  He had a sharp wit and was good humored despite his sometimes quick temper. One famous example of his humor occurred when a tenor threatened to jump on his harpsichord and smash it. Handel simply replied, "Let me know when you will do that and I will advertise it: for I am sure more people will come to see you jump than hear you sing". (7)

Handel next to his harpsichord, painted by Philip Mercier (c. 1730)

RELATIONSHIPS Handel never married and remained celibate throughout his life. He once dismissed King George II's inquiries about his love life by insisting he had no time for anything but music. 

There were rumors of two romantic attachments in his youth - one woman whose mother objected to marrying "a fiddler," and another whose hand he could have obtained by renouncing his profession, which he refused to do. (8)

Handel's close friends included Goupy the painter, Hunter (a scarlet dyer), and his loyal servant. He maintained friendships with various nobility and patrons but kept his social circle relatively small.

On another occasion he walked a mere 25 miles to Halle in the hope of meeting Handel but arrived just after he had left the town by coach.

Handel was born in the same year as Johann Sebastian Bach and spent his early years in the same area of Germany but they never met. On one occasion Bach walked 25 miles to Halle in the hope of meeting Handel but arrived just after he had left the town by coach. (4)

MONEY AND FAME Handel was one of the first composers to break free from total dependence on aristocratic patronage, developing an innovative business model that allowed him to earn substantial wealth. By his death in 1759, his estate was valued at nearly £20,000—equivalent to millions today.

His fame began with the opera Agrippina in 1709 and truly blossomed during his years in Italy, where audiences devoured his operas and nicknamed him Il caro Sassone (“the dear Saxon”). By the 1730s, he was considered a national institution in England. 

When he first visited London in 1710 and settled permanently in 1712, Queen Anne awarded him an annual pension of £200, which was later doubled to £400.

But Handel’s career was not without risk. He lost a fortune in the opera business when the Royal Academy of Music collapsed in the late 1720s, largely due to the Prince of Wales founding a rival company and luring away Handel’s singers and royal support. By 1741, after several financial and artistic setbacks, Handel joked that the only way he could keep his bills down was with a paperweight.

His fortunes changed with the phenomenal success of Messiah. A shrewd businessman, he realized that oratorios were cheaper to stage than operas—no costly scenery or costumes—and could draw large audiences. Benefit performances of Messiah raised over £7,000 (over £1 million in today’s money) for the Foundling Hospital for orphans in Guilford, one of his favorite charities. He remained a generous benefactor throughout his life, leaving nearly £6,000 in charitable legacies.

Handel’s reputation soared so high that even the satirist Jonathan Swift, then dying and mentally broken, rallied when Handel was brought to his bedside. Recognizing the composer, Swift cried out: “Oh! A German and a genius. A prodigy! Admit him.”

FOOD AND DRINK Handel was widely known for his fondness for rich food, including sausages and other delicacies. He had an extraordinary appetite and was notorious for binge eating, sometimes hiding fine foods from guests and indulging in elaborate meals alone.

He would often work and eat simultaneously with great intensity. His papers were frequently "splattered with food and drink" as he composed while eating. 

One exception was Messiah: Whilst working virtually non-stop for 21 days on the oratorio, Handel had no time to eat and he survived almost totally on coffee.

One evening Handel ordered dinner for two at a local inn. When the landlord brought out the food and noticed only the composer at the table, he remarked that he had understood Handel was expecting company. “I am the company,” Handel replied, before settling in to enjoy both meals himself.

Contemporary satirical works, including Joseph Goupy's 1754 caricature "The Charming Brute," mocked his eating habits.

"The Charming Brute" - caricature by Joseph Goupy of Handel, 1754

COMPOSING CAREER  Handel enjoyed one of the busiest, most successful, and certainly most sausage-filled careers of the Baroque age. He was both prolific and practical, endlessly adaptable, and in his lifetime more famous than Bach, though unlike Bach he managed to avoid having 20 children and instead poured all his energy into music, charity, and good dinners.

Handel started out in Germany and Italy, where he quickly made a name for himself with operas like Almira, Rodrigo, and Agrippina. The Italians adored him and, with commendable efficiency, nicknamed him Il caro Sassone (“the dear Saxon”). By the time he moved to London in 1712, he was already an established star. London audiences lapped up his operas, from Rinaldo—the first Italian opera written specifically for the London stage—to Giulio Cesare, Rodelinda, and Alcina. By 1741, he had churned out more than 40 operas, which seems almost impossibly productive until you remember that this was a man who could write an oratorio in three weeks while surviving entirely on coffee.

Eventually the public grew weary of Italian opera, and Handel—ever the shrewd businessman—pivoted to English oratorios, which were easier to stage (no costumes or scenery required) and much cheaper to put on. Esther (1720) more or less invented the genre after the Bishop of London objected to it being staged as an opera and Handel simply repackaged it as a concert piece. From there he created a run of choral blockbusters: Saul, Israel in Egypt, Samson, and Judas Maccabaeus, which in Victorian times was as popular as Messiah.

And then, of course, there was Messiah (1742). Handel composed it in just 23 days, working day and night and hardly bothering to eat. “I saw the great God himself, on his throne,” he said of the experience, “and all his company of angels.” When it was first performed in Dublin on April 13, 1742, demand was so great that men were asked to attend without swords and women without hoop skirts to squeeze more bodies into the hall. 

In London, when King George II supposedly stood during the “Hallelujah” chorus, the audience followed—thus accidentally starting a tradition that continues to this day. Queen Victoria, for her part, thought it “heavy and tiresome,” but nobody asked her to the rehearsals.

When not cranking out operas or oratorios, Handel found time to write some of the most iconic ceremonial music in history. Water Music (1717) was composed for a boating party on the Thames; the King enjoyed it so much he demanded it be played three times in one evening, which must have made the exhausted musicians wish they’d stayed ashore. 

Handel (left) and King George I on the Thames River, July 17, 1717. Painting by Edouard Hamman 

Zadok the Priest, written for George II’s coronation in 1727, has been sung at every British coronation since. Music for the Royal Fireworks (1749) attracted a crowd of 12,000 in London’s Green Park, resulting in what may have been history’s first traffic jam when London Bridge became impassable for three hours. The set promptly caught fire during the show, and two people were killed in the ensuing chaos, but apart from that it was considered a great success.

By his sixties. Handel's health was failing—rheumatism, a stroke, and eventually blindness in 1753. None of it stopped him. He kept composing with the help of his assistant John Christopher Smith, and in his final years he continued to perform on the organ. 

Handel wrote over 40 operas, 29 oratorios, and more than 120 cantatas, plus a mountain of anthems, suites, and instrumental works—about 303 hours of music in total. At one point his Largo was the most-played piece in the world, though it began life as a serenade to a tree (yes, really). He may not have had Bach’s contrapuntal genius, but he had a gift for melody, a knack for spectacle, and a businessman’s sense of what would keep audiences coming back.

Basically, he was the Baroque era’s closest thing to a pop star: prolific, practical, adored, and still going strong 250 years later.

MUSIC AND ARTS Handel was passionate about both creating and collecting art. He owned an impressive art collection of at least 80 oil paintings and 60 prints, including landscapes, historical scenes, marine paintings, and portraits. His collection reflected both his operatic imagination and sophisticated taste. He displayed his artwork throughout his London home to elevate his status among the elite. 

Handel had a lifelong attachment to the theatre--even his oratorios were usually performed on the stage rather than in church.

 

LITERATURE Handel worked with various librettists throughout his career, most notably Charles Jennens, who provided the libretto for Messiah. He was described as an avid reader of the Bible and was well-learned, speaking several languages.

His oratorios relied heavily on biblical texts, and he often worked with English poets and librettists. His music also drew inspiration from classical mythology (Acis and Galatea) and English literature (Alexander's Feast, based on an ode by John Dryden).

Handel was the first composer to have a substantial biography written about him, authored by John Mainwaring in 1760. Mainwaring's book, published just a year after Handel's death, established the precedent for detailed composer biographies in classical music literature.

NATURE His art collection included numerous landscapes and marine scenes, suggesting an appreciation for natural beauty. 

PETS There is no surviving record of Handel keeping pets, though he lived alone most of his life. His devotion was reserved almost entirely for his music and art collection.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS  His main passion outside of composition and performing was likely his art collection. Beyond music and art, he enjoyed good food and maintained social relationships with fellow artists and patrons. 

SCIENCE AND MATHS  Handel's musical compositions required mathematical precision, particularly in his complex fugues and orchestrations. His innovative approach to composition and business showed analytical thinking skills.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Handel was a devout Christian and "pious Lutheran" who attended church regularly and was very familiar with his Bible. His deep religious faith is evident in his numerous sacred works, including Messiah, various Te Deums, and coronation anthems. 

He hoped to die on Good Friday "in the hope of rejoining the good God, my Lord and Saviour, on the day of His resurrection". (5)

POLITICS Handel's political position was firmly pro-Hanoverian, supporting the Protestant succession. He served the Hanoverian kings George I and George II loyally. His music often served political purposes, such as his coronation anthems and ceremonial pieces that reinforced the legitimacy of the Hanoverian dynasty. During times of Jacobite threats, attending his English oratorio performances became "a patriotic act".

SCANDAL  Handel's career was marked by several scandals involving temperamental opera singers. One major scandal occurred in June 1727 when rival sopranos Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni engaged in a physical fight on stage, tearing each other's costumes and hurling insults before being dragged off.

In 1712, while employed by George, Elector of Hanover, he asked permission for another short trip to London. There, his operas won over British audiences, and Handel decided to stay for good—effectively abandoning his post back in Hanover. The problem? Two years later, his former employer crossed the Channel and was crowned King George I of England. It could have been a career-ending scandal, but the King, recognizing Handel’s genius and the public’s enthusiasm, forgave him. He even commissioned the now-famous Water Music and doubled Handel’s pension, ensuring that what could have been a disastrous betrayal instead cemented Handel’s place at the heart of British music.

MILITARY RECORD Handel had no military service record. As the son of a barber-surgeon who pursued law studies before becoming a professional musician, he followed a civilian career path throughout his life.

In 1704, during a performance of Antony and Cleopatra in Hamburg, composer Johann Mattheson briefly let his guest, Handel, take over conducting duties. When Mattheson later tried to reclaim the podium, Handel refused to budge. Tempers flared, and the two stormed outside to settle the matter with swords. Mattheson, an expert duelist, had the clear advantage, while Handel was hardly more than a novice. The fight might have ended badly for him, but Mattheson’s blade struck one of the oversized wooden buttons on Handel’s heavy coat and stuck fast. Before either could press their luck further, onlookers separated them, and the quarrel ended as abruptly as it began. (4)

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Handel's health declined significantly in his later years. He suffered his first stroke in 1737, which temporarily paralyzed his right arm and hand, severely impacting his ability to perform. He recovered fully after a trip to the spa town of Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen).

Handel experienced subsequent strokes and developed progressive blindness, initially in his left eye around 1751, then his right eye. Multiple unsuccessful eye operations by the charlatan Dr. John Taylor worsened his condition. Despite his physical ailments, he continued composing and performing until shortly before his death. 

He also suffered from what contemporaries called "fits of madness" and had balance problems in his final years.

HOMES Handel was born and raised in Halle, located in what was then the Duchy of Magdeburg, part of Brandenburg-Prussia (now modern-day Germany). 

Handel House, birthplace of Handel by Andreas Praefcke -

Handel's primary residence from 1723 until his death in 1759 was 25 Brook Street in Mayfair, London. He was the building's first occupant. The house contained multiple floors with various rooms including a front parlour for receiving visitors, a dining room where he held rehearsals and concerts, a drawing room where he composed, and his private bedroom. Handel often threw old concert tickets out from a kiosk at his home. 

In the 1960s, the legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix lived next door at 23 Brook Street, making the street one of London’s most unique musical addresses. Today, the house operates as the Handel Hendrix House museum.

TRAVEL Born in Germany,  Handdel moved to Hamburg in 1703. From 1706-1710, he traveled extensively in Italy, visiting Florence, Rome, Naples, and Venice. In 1710, he went to Hanover before making his first visit to London. He settled permanently in London in 1712. He made various trips throughout his career, including a journey to Aix-la-Chapelle for his health in 1737.

DEATH Handel died on April 14, 1759, at his home at 25 Brook Street, London, aged 74. He had supervised his last performance of Messiah during the 1759 Lenten season and suffered a fainting spell during the performance. In his final days, he said "I have now done with the world" and requested no visitors except his doctor and apothecary. He died as he lived, "a good Christian, with a true sense of his duty to God and man, and in perfect charity with all the world". (10)

His funeral in Westminster Abbey on April 20, 1759, was attended by about 3,000 people. He was buried in Poets’ Corner under a monument inscribed “George Frederic Handel.”

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Handel is one of the most frequently portrayed artists before photography, with around 400 representations, though only about fourteen are considered authentic portraits. Notable authentic portraits include works by Christof Platzer (c.1710), Balthasar Denner (1726-28), and others. 

His death mask was used for his Westminster Abbey monument by sculptor Louis Francois Roubiliac, unveiled in 1762. 

Modern media continues to feature Handel extensively in documentaries, concerts, and educational materials about classical music. 

His music is omnipresent in film and television, with the The “Hallelujah Chorus” being perhaps the most widely recognized piece of classical music used in media.

ACHIEVEMENTS Composed over 303 hours of music—thought to be more notes than any other composer in history.

Famous for Messiah, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks.

His anthem Zadok the Priest has been performed at all British coronations since King George II.

Became a British citizen in 1726 through an Act of Parliament.

Among the first composers to have a collected edition of his works published (1787–1790, in 180 parts).

Left a legacy of oratorios, operas, and instrumental works that shaped Western classical music.

Sources: (1) Wiki Source (2) The Tabernacle Choir (3) Encyclopaedia of Trivia  (4) Repository.up.ac.za (5) Ebsco (6) Playbill (7) Portland Baroque Orchestra Blog (8) Christ Over All (9) Living London History (10) Interlude