George Frideric Handel

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Known for his amazing works such as Water Music and his famous Messiah, the German composer Handel created avant-garde works. Living during the Baroque time, he made his music swell with extravagance. "What a wonderful thing it is to be sure of one's faith. How wonderful to be a member of the evangelical church, which preaches the free grace of God through Christ as the hope of sinners. If we were to rely on our works--my God, what would become of us?" His faith carried him through some of the toughest times. His early, middle, and late life all took different paths and formed a beautiful picture never forgotten.
The life of George Frideric Handel resembled one has come to expect of a composer. Born as a son of a barber-surgeon on February 23, 1685, he showed musical skills from a young age. However, his father did not see why Handel should study music and pushed the study of law onto him instead. However, during a chance encounter, the Duke of Weissenfels urged Handel’s father to provide a musical education for the young man. Left with no other choice, the father followed the Duke’s suggestion and by age 12, Handel had become a proficient organ player as well as finishing his first composition. The prodigy continued in his studies conquering various instruments right and left. Although he enrolled in the University of Halle in 1702 to please his father by studying law, he soon gave up all legal ambitions. His focus now landed on musical studies
Continuing his exposure to the arts, he filled his life of some travel. After staying in Hamburg for some while, he moved to Italy, where he lived for four years. Rome saw him composing The Resurrection in which religious themes appeared for the first time in his pieces. While there ...

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... his life fully until the end, he had one last wish. He would like to die on Good Friday “in hopes of meeting his good God, his sweet Lord and Savior, on the day of his Resurrection.” However his wish did not get granted and he passed away on Good Saturday instead at age 74. Buried in Westminster Abbey, his funeral ended up well attended and people praised his accomplishments.
Handel had great perseverance in both times hard and not. His life seemed destined to be full of encounters in which every single one changed the direction of his life. After his meeting with Jennens, the exposure to the Gospel affected his life ever after. It gave him a different outlook on life with a reason for living. Because of this change, we now have one of most well-known pieces in classical music, Messiah. The music world changed forever after this talented man had graced the Earth.

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