5 Things you (Probably) Didn’t Know About Handel 23 July 2019

1. George Frideric Handel was born in Germany and came to over to England at the request of George I.  He then asked to be made a British citizen in 1727.
2. His father wanted him to be a lawyer, but the Duke Johann Adolf I convinced him to let Handel take music lessons after seeing him perform.
3. Handel was a big fan of Corelli – they met in Italy and the event was important for the young composer. Handel’s Concerto Grosso in A, Op. 6 No. 11 is directly inspired by Corelli’s Concerto Grosso in D, Op. 6 No. 1.
4. When one of his sopranos refused to sing a piece, he lifted her in the air and threatened to throw her out the window.
5. He was never married, kept his personal life very private and devoted to himself totally to music.