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Handel's Biography

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At the beginning of the 18th Century, England possessed a strong interest in Italian Opera, or Opera Seria, as the style is now called. Handel catered to the needs of the largely aristocratic audience with a series of successful operas over the ensuing decades. However, due to changing tastes, his audiences would eventually begin to waver.

The genre of Opera Seria was somewhat limiting. The prevalence of the da capo aria (one that repeats its first section at the end) made for slow drama, to say nothing of overly complex plots and improbable endings. Meanwhile the absence of a choral component prohibited one of Handel’s greatest talents. Other difficulties, such as the hiring of famous singers, along with elaborate costumes and sets, made it a tough business.

Still, Handel invested himself deeply in his operas. They contain wonderful music, and it is no surprise that the composer reused much of this material later when writing his oratorios. His most famous opera today is Giulio Cesare, written in 1724. Click on the music for a Playlist of Opera Arias from it, and from some of his other masterpieces.

Besides composing his music, Handel's duties in the opera companies required his constant attention. He traveled around Europe to engage foreign singers, rehearsed and performed his works with his musicians, and spent much of his time securing the support of the patrons. His fortunes rose and fell, but his entrepeneurial spirit was always formidable, and few other composers ever took on so many duties in addition to writing their music. He loved the opera to the end, even when it lost him money, and even after his oratorios had started achieving success.

During these decades, he supplemented (and sometimes supported) his opera career with many of his instrumental and ceremonial pieces. See the Works section for a chronology of the most notable ones.

As time wore on opera audiences began to decrease and Handel fell on hard times. Battling financial losses and unstable health, his career in England might have ended had his talent been less versatile. Fortunately, his shift to dramatic oratorios gave him another chance to reclaim the hearts of his audience, and his status as the foremost composer of his day. His final opera, Deidamia, was produced in 1741 when he was 56. Next Page

Biography: Upbringing and Early Career | Handel's Opera Career | Transition to Oratorios | Final years | Legacy | Personality

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