Georg Friedrich Händel

The Profile

German-born Baroque composer (1685–1759) who settled in London, became a British subject in 1727, and wrote operas, oratorios, and instrumental works including Messiah, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks.

Reviews highlight Tamerlano’s recitatives and da capo arias, and detail Water Music (1717, on the Thames) and Music for the Royal Fireworks (1749, Green Park) with their vivid outdoor scale. Publicly known: leading Baroque composer, naturalized British, renowned for operas, oratorios, and orchestral suites.

Two glowing reviews celebrate Händel’s range: Tamerlano’s da capo arias and dramatic knots, and the grand outdoor pageantry of Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks. Historical context, instrumentation, and vivid listening notes abound. The verdict is unabashedly admiring: beauty and power in equal measure.