Personality
What we know of Handel’s personality comes from surviving letters, quotes, and anecdotes. The sources all agree about certain traits, making them relatively certain. For one thing, he was a very large man, and one that enjoyed food and drink immensely. This gave rise to satire such as the cartoon below from 1754, which depicts him as a gluttonous hog at the organ.
Yet any hedonism toward food that he may have had was balanced by a generous and liberal disposition. He gave much to charities and friends, and those who knew him spoke highly of these qualities. And though he had many friends and acquaintances, he himself was inclined to be private about his personal affairs. Not only did he never marry, but there is scant evidence to indicate any romantic attachments.
In his traveling he picked up many languages, but always spoke them with a thick accent. They tended to meld together as well (particularly when he got angry or flustered).
He could be easily annoyed and quite temperamental, making him difficult to work with. Many stories have him throwing tantrums and insulting his rivals or performers. But it is also stated that he was never the type who held a grudge, nor any real malice toward anyone. He seems merely to have been a perfectionist about his art. And though his outward behavior could be abrasive (and often very amusing), inside he was more gentle than most, and free from ill-will.
Handel’s religion is a common source of interest. Though by all accounts he was very devout, his particular denomination remains a mystery, if he followed one at all. Some wish to characterize him as a humanist, very tolerant and accepting to all faiths. If this is the case, it suits well with his art. It must be observed that very little of his output was of an overtly religious nature, and that human drama and the moral workings of this world occupied his attention.
Compared with most composers, Handel was notable for his independence. He never accepted a court appointment, church position, or any official patron. Though opera and oratorio were dangerous ventures, drama was what he wished to create, and this necessitated constant work and entrepreneurship.
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