Baroque · 1600–1750
George Frideric Handel
“The People's Composer”
A German who became Britain's favourite composer — writing music for kings, fireworks and the whole nation.
The Baroque era (1600–1750): Ornate, dramatic music of courts and churches — fugues, concertos and opera are born.
Amazing facts
- His father wanted him to be a lawyer and banned music at home — young Handel reportedly smuggled a small keyboard into the attic to practise in secret.
- He wrote Messiah in just 24 days. At the London premiere, King George II is said to have stood up during the Hallelujah chorus — audiences still stand today.
- His Music for the Royal Fireworks (1749) drew such a huge crowd at rehearsal that it caused a three-hour traffic jam of carriages on London Bridge.
- He and Bach were born the same year only about 130 km apart — but the two giants never met.
- He went blind in his final years but kept performing organ concertos from memory.
- He's buried in Westminster Abbey — about 3,000 people came to his funeral.
A few pieces to start with
Messiah — 'Hallelujah'
1741
Oratorio
An oratorio telling the story of the Messiah, composed in about 24 days. The Hallelujah chorus is one of the most recognised pieces of music on Earth.
Water Music
1717
Orchestral suites
Written for King George I's royal barge party on the River Thames — the king loved it so much he made the 50 exhausted musicians play it three times.
Zadok the Priest
1727
Coronation anthem
Sung at the coronation of every British monarch since 1727 — and the theme music of football's Champions League is based on it.
Life & times — what was happening in the world
1685Born in Halle, Germany, the same year as Bach.
1706Travels to Italy to learn the Italian opera style from the source.
1712Settles in London for good — soon composing for British royalty.
1714George I, from Hanover in Germany (Handel's former employer!), becomes King of Great Britain.
1720The South Sea Bubble — one of history's first stock-market crashes — rocks London.
1726Jonathan Swift publishes Gulliver's Travels.
1727Becomes a British citizen; writes Zadok the Priest for George II's coronation — sung at every British coronation since.
1741Composes Messiah in about three weeks; it premieres in Dublin in 1742.
1749Music for the Royal Fireworks stops London traffic.
1752Benjamin Franklin performs his famous kite experiment with lightning.
1755Samuel Johnson publishes his great Dictionary of the English Language.
1759Dies in London; buried with honours in Westminster Abbey.