George Frideric Handel

Handel received important trainin in Halle-upon-Saale an wirked as a componer in Hamburg an Italy afore settlin in Lunnon in 1712; he becam a naituralised Breetish subject in 1727. He wis strangly influenced baith bi the great componers o the Italian Baroque an bi the middle-German polyphonic choral tradeetion.

Within fifteen years, Handel haed stairtit three commercial opera companies tae supply the Inglis nobility wi Italian opera. Muisicologist Winton Dean writes that his operas shaw that "Handel wis nae anerly a great composer; he wis a dramatic genius o the first order." As Alexander's Feast (1736) wis well received, Handel made a transeetion tae Inglis choral warks. Efter his success wi Messiah (1742) he niver componed an Italian opera again. Awmaist blind, an haein leeved in Ingland for nearly fifty years, he dee'd in 1759, a respectit an rich man. His funeral wis gien full state honours, an he wis buiried in Wastmeenster Aibey in Lunnon.

Born the same year as Johann Sebastian Bach an Domenico Scarlatti, Handel is regairdit as ane o the greatest componers o the Baroque era, wi warks sic as Messiah, Water Muisic, an Music for the Royal Fireworks remeenin steidfestly popular. Ane o his fower coronation anthems, Zadok the Priest (1727), componed for the coronation o George II, haes been performed at ivery subsequent Breetish coronation, tradeetionally in the sovereign's anyntin. Anither o his Inglis oratorios, Solomon (1748), haes an aw remeened popular, wi the Sinfonia that appens act 3 (kent mair commonly as "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba") featurin at the 2012 Lunnon Olympics appenin ceremony. Handel componed mair nor fowerty operas in ower thirty years, an syne the late 1960s, wi the revival o baroque muusic an historically informed muusical performance, interest in Handel's operas haes growed.