HANDEL, GEORGE FREDERICK, who, from having passed nearly the whole of his life in this country, and produced in it all his great works, the English feel some right to claim as their own, was born at Halle, in Saxony, on the 24th of February 1684. He was the issue of a second marriage, which his father, an eminent physician and surgeon, contracted after he had reached his grand climacteric. This sou of his rather advanced age he destined for the profession of the civil law, but the child's passion for music, his sacrifice of play-hours, often of his meals to its pursuit, and the determined manner in which he evaded or resisted all attempts to divert him from a purpose nature seems to have prompted, at length softened the obduracy of his father, who, by the earnest advice of the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels, placed him under Friedrich Zachau, organist of the cathedral of Halle, an excellent musician. This professor soon made so willing a pupil acquainted with the principled of the science and the laws of harmony; he then placed in his hands the beat works of the greatest composers, without directing his attention to any one in particular, thus leaving him to form a style of his own out of an acquaintance with numerous models of acknowledged superiority. So successful was this plau of education, that the youthful student composed a set of sonatas when only ten years of age, which was in the possession of George III., and probably atilt forms a part of the Queen's library.
Handel continued his attendance on the same master till he attained his fourteenth year, when he was taken to Berlin, where the, opera was flourishing under the direction of Bononcini and Ariosti, afterwards his rivals in London. He there attracted the notice of the elector, who proposed to send him to Italy, which offer, for some reason unknown, was declined by his father, who shortly after died; and from this period we lose all trace of the young Handel till the year 1703, when he reached Hamburg, in which city he may be said to have commenced his professional life. He there found Reinhard Keiser in the office of director of the opera, a composer of the highest celebrity, but whose expensive and somewhat dissipated habits led him frequently to absent himself from his post, on which occasions Handel was appointed to fill his situation, a preference so irritating to Mattheaon, an able musician and a voluminous writer on the art, that he violently assailed his favoured rival. A duel ensued, and nothing
but a score, buttoned under Handel's coat, on which his antagonist's weapon broke, saved a life that soon proved of such inestimable value.
Shortly after this he was employed to set a drama entitled Almeria,' the success of which was remarkable ; it ran thirty nights uninter ruptedly. Next year he produced 'Florinda,' and Nerone ' in the year following, both of which were as favourably received as his former work. He now found himself possessed of the means of visiting Italy, then the land of song. At Florence he was welcomed in the most flattering manner by the grand-duke, and there, in 1709, pro duced the opera of Rodrigo,' for which he was rewarded with a hundred sequins (50/.), and a service of plate. He then proceeded to Venice, and brought out his 'Agrippina,' which was performed twenty seven nights successively. In this, we are told, horns and other wind instruments were first used in Italy, as accompaniments to the voice.
Quitting Venice, where his music is said to have made an impression on the famous beauty and singer, Signora Vittoria, a lady particularly distinguished by the grand-duke, but which the young composer did not reciprocate, Handel went to Rome, where ha was hospitably enter tained by the Cardinal Ottoboni, who had in his service a baud of ex cellent performers, under the direction of the famous Corelli [Colima), with whom, as well as with Domenico Scarlatti, the young Saxon speedily formed an acquaintance. Thero he produced '11 Trionfo del Tempo,' the text written for him by the Cardinal Pamphilii, and a sacred opera, a kind of mystery, La Resurrezione.' The former altered and enlarged, with English words by Dr. Morel!, he afterwards brought out in London, a an oratorio, under the name of 'The Triumph of Time and Truth.' From Rome he advanced to Naples; but being anxious to return to Germany he declined many proffered . engagements, and in 1710 reached Hanover, finding there a generous patron in the Elector, afterwards George I., who soon appointed him his Maestro di Capella, with a salary of 1500 crowns, on condition that he would, on the termination of his travels, return to perform the duties of his office.