HANDEL, GEORGE FREDERIC, a celebrated composer, was born at Halle in Saxony, in the year 1684. His father, an eminent physician, designed him for the study of the law ; but the decided propensities which he displayed for music at an age when youthful genius rarely begins to expand, speedily demonstrated that his intentions would be disappointed. Handel is said to have privately resorted to a clavichord, an instrument strung with catgut, resem bling a piano-forte, in a remote apartment, and continued playing upon it when the rest of the family had retired to sleep. His father, therefore, was induced to place him under the tuitition of the organist of the cathedral ; and at only nine years of age, he is said to have composed some motets which were adopted in the service of the churches. Distinguished musicians have sometimes ex hibited similar precocious talents, but they seldom attain proportional excellence in maturer age : and if we admire the productions of children, it is generally in forgetting how much they would he undervalued were they the coin positious of men.
The improvement of Handel, however, was great and rapid, and was strikingly displayed in the composition of an opera at the early period of fourteen, while he filled the ostensible situation of manager of the Hamburgh theatre. He was promoted to this situation in consequence of the flight of Keisser, the regular manager, who had attempted to assassinate hint. Having composed the operas of Almeria, Florinda, and Nero, Handel proceeded to Flo rence, where he prudently resisted the consequences of an attachment, which an actress, who was mistress to the Grand Duke, had conceived for him ; and repairing to other parts of Italy, be formed an acquaintance with Co relli and Scarlatti, famous musicians of that era. Then travelling to Hanover, he obtained a considerable pension from the Elector, afterwards Geo. I. of Britain, and arrived in London in 1 7 10.
His fame had already preceded him, and he enjoyed high favour at court. Some of his compositions were in tended for the practice of queen Anne; and when he re turned to Hanover, after urgent solicitations by the ad mirers of music to remain in England, she dismissed him with a pension and valuable presents.
After a short interval, Handel revisited Britain, where more caressed than ever, and where his musical reputation beg. tn Piztend_ He. first resided with the
most distinguished persons, composing for pct formances, and managing some concerts for the nobility ; and after wards a society, called the Royal Academy, was instituted, by a subscription of 50,0001, to which the King contributed 10001, for the execution of his works.
Handel now went to Dresden, in quest of performers for this great establishment, where he engaged a native of Siena, Francesco Bernardino Senesino, and Margarita Durastanti, two singers of celebrity, with whom he open ed the Academy. But he had to contend with two formi dable rivals in composition, Bononcini and Attilio, whose works were performed with applause in the Haymarket theatre. The friends of these three musiciam, therefore, agreed that in order to decide their respective merits, each should compose the music for an act of an opera, called Muzio Sexy°la, of which the third fell to Handers share. Public opinion unanimously declared in favour of the last ; and it has been observed, that the performance of one of Handel's operas, after those of the other two, " is going from Arabia Petra to Arabia Felix ; from barren rocks to spontaneous fertility." Handel, therefore, held unrivalled possession of the stage. Some years af terwards, having profited by the talents of Francesca Cuzzoni, a female singer, of whom it was said, " that her intonations were so just and fixed, that it appeared as if she could norsing out of tune," lie engaged Faustina, a young, beautiful, and interesting Venetian. But a rival ship commenced between them, and the audience partici pated in it so keenly, that, amidst the violence of parti sans, the merits of the institution were altogether obscured. Each was supported with indiscreet and indecent zeal ; and one of them having become refractory, Handel, from a previous example of the same in Senesino, refused to compose for this singer, and obtained his dismissal, pro bably in order to intimidate the others. By this, and some arrangements of a different kind, he offended the direc tors of the Academy, which led to its dissolution in nine years from its commencement.