HANDEL 250TH ANNIVERSARY

George Frederic(k) Handel, the greatest-ever British composer, although not a native-born Englishman, became a naturalised British citizen on January 22nd, 1727, and lived and died in London, my home town, from 1712 until his death. He is perhaps best known for his English-language oratorios, especially Messiah. He was extremely prolific, having, it is claimed, composed more music than Bach and Beethoven combined.

He expressed the wish to die on Good Friday, on the same day as his Saviour, and to be buried in Westminster Abbey. His wishes were fulfilled almost to the letter.














Handel died on April 14th, 1759, which was Easter Saturday that year, and his tomb is in Westminster Abbey.



The monument in Westminister Abbey shows the composer holding the score of the aria "I know that my Redeemer liveth" from Part 3 of Messiah.



Handel's London house is today the Handel House Museum. In 1723 G.F. Handel moved into a newly built house at 25 Brook Street, London, which he rented until his death in 1759. I took the photos of Handel's house in February this year.

Bach, who never met Handel, even though the two great Baroque composers were born in the same area of Saxony in the same year, is supposed to have said of Handel, "[Handel] is the only person I would wish to see before I die, and the only person I would wish to be, were I not Bach." („Das ist der einzige, den ich sehen möchte, ehe ich sterbe, und der ich sein möchte, wenn ich nicht Bach wäre.“). Bach performed Handel's music in Leipzig, but Handel was prevented from accepting Bach's invitation to visit.

"In 1719 J.S. Bach did travel to Halle in the hope of a meeting, but Handel had left by the time he arrived; again in 1729, when Handel was once more in his native city, J.S. Bach sent his son Wilhelm Friedemann Bach to invite Handel to Leipzig, but Handel was unable to make the journey." (Aryeh Oron @ bach-cantatas.com)

Handel has left us with an immense legacy which almost no one will ever be able to match in either quantity or quality.