George Frideric Handel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-born, British Baroque composer famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Born in a family indifferent to music, Handel received critical training in Halle, Hamburg and Italy before settling in London (1712), and became a naturalized British subject in 1727. He was strongly influenced both by the great composers of the Italian Baroque and the middle-German polyphonic choral tradition.

Within fifteen years, Handel had started three commercial opera companies to supply the English nobility with Italian opera. Musicologist Winton Dean writes that his operas show that "Handel was not only a great composer; he was a dramatic genius of the first order." As Alexander's Feast (1736) was well received, Handel made a transition to English choral works. After his success with Messiah (1742) he never performed an Italian opera again. It has been said that the passion of Handel's oratorios is an ethical one, and that they are hallowed not by liturgical dignity but by moral ideals of humanity. Almost blind, and having lived in England for nearly fifty years, he died in 1759, a respected and rich man. His funeral was given full state honours, and he was buried in Westminster Abbey.

* This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
* Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
* Original page

Recent Handel releases

Handel - Il Messia (Florence version, 1768)

£14.44

(CPO)

Handel - Il Trionfo della Musica: Instrumental Highlights from Operas & Oratorios

£13.25

(Tudor)

Handel - Suites de pieces pour le clavecin (8 Great Suites)

£24.65

(Passacaille)

Orlinski & Debicz: LetsBaRock (Vinyl LP)

£47.45

(Erato)

Orlinski & Debicz: LetsBaRock

£14.20

(Erato)

Emanuel Feuermann: The Complete RCA Album Collection

£42.70

(Sony)

Danzas: From Taboo to Triumph

£14.20

(Perfect Noise)

Farinelli’s Violin: Arias arranged for Violin

£15.15

(Pan Classics)

Foreign Masters: Handel, Corelli, Sammartini, Pepusch, etc.

£17.05

(Berlin Classics)

Baroque Piano Collection

£26.32

(Brilliant Classics)

Tre: Music for Triple Harp

£13.25

(Etcetera)

Handel, JS Bach, Mozart, CPE Bach - Concertos, Symphonies, Serenades

£33.88

(Haenssler Classic)

Magdalena Hoffmann: Fantasia

£12.30

(Deutsche Grammophon)

Chaconne in Two

£14.20

(Dux)

Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin

£83.56

(Australian Eloquence)

Early Music Log: Il Giardino Armonico

£15.15

(Fra Bernardo)

Alfred Dubois plays Mozart & Vieuxtemps

£11.88

(Biddulph)

Handel & Haydn - In dolce abbandono: Solo Cantatas

£13.25

(Solo Musica)

Verum Gaudium: JL & JS Bach, Handel, Leclair, Vivaldi, Sammartini

£13.25

(Genuin)

Handel Remembered: Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart and more...

£11.88

(Prima Facie)

70: A Life in Music

£21.24

(Coro)

Mark Steven Doss: Welcome To My World

£13.25

(Cedille Records)

Rachel Baptist: Ireland’s Black Syren

£14.49

(Linn)

The Muses Restor’d

£14.49

(Channel Classics)

Isolde Menges plays Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Bach, Handel, etc.

£18.95

(Biddulph)

Cecilia Bartoli: Casta Diva

£13.25

(Decca)

Scenes of Horror: Baroque Arias from the Shadows

£14.20

(Perfect Noise)

Polifemo: Arias by Handel, Bononcini, Alberti, Porpora, etc.

£15.15

(Accent)

Handel - Freedom: Oratorio Arias

£14.20

(Challenge Classics)

Missing Vittorio: Arias for Vittorio Chiccheri

£15.15

(Christophorus)

Amour fou: Love Arias & Songs

£14.20

(Atma Classique)

Handel - Marriner: The Decca Legacy

£75.96

(Australian Eloquence)

Handel - Dixit Dominus, Laudate pueri, Nisi Dominus

£17.05

(Harmonia Mundi)

Solace: Handel, Rachmaninov, Oguz

£13.25

(Sono Luminus)

Neville Marriner: The Complete Warner Classics Recordings

£227.95

(Warner)

Handel - Poro, re delle Indie

£29.89

(Chateau de Versailles Spectacles)

Solo: Harmonica on Harmonica

£13.25

(Dynamic)

Handel - Oboe Concertos (Vinyl LP)

£27.50

(Brilliant Classics)

From Handel’s Home: The Keyboards of Handel Hendrix House

£15.92

(Delphian)

Handel - Complete Violin Sonatas

£12.12

(Delphian)

Handel - Theodora

£23.25

(Alpha)

Dolce Pupillo: Vivaldi, Bononcini, A Scarlatti, Legrenzi

£13.78

(Indesens)

Handel - Nine German Arias

£13.25

(Lawo Classics)

Gentleman for a Day

£14.20

(Perfect Noise)

Handel - Credo: Duets

£13.25

(Haenssler Classic)

Daniel Hope: Dance

£18.95

(Deutsche Grammophon)

Handel - Alcina

£25.91

(Pentatone)

Edward Power Biggs plays Historic Organs of Europe

£37.95

(Sony)

Ernest Ansermet: The Mono Years

£162.41

(Decca)

Handel for Trumpet: Concertos and Arias Re-Imagined for Trumpet

£14.49

(Linn)

Grzegorz Olkiewicz plays Baroque Flute Sonata

£14.20

(Dux)

Wiener Sangerknaben: 525th Anniversary

£85.46

(Decca)

Matthias Hofs: An English Concert - Music for Trumpet & Organ

£17.05

(Berlin Classics)

Eugene Ormandy & the Philadelphia Orchestra: The Columbia Stereo Collection

£189.95

(Sony)

Felix Klieser: A Golden Christmas

£17.05

(Berlin Classics)

Christmas with Pavarotti

£15.15

(Decca)

Handel - Messiah

£24.65

(Chateau de Versailles Spectacles)

Handel - Water Music (Vinyl LP)

£35.10

(Berlin Classics)

Hymne a l’amour

£15.15

(Ars Produktion)

Music from the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla

£27.32

(Decca)

Music from the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla (Vinyl LP)

£90.20

(Decca)

Rutter - Classical Tranquility

£7.55

(Collegium)

Handel - Dixit Dominus; Ferrandini - Il pianto di Maria

£15.15

(Passacaille)

Wilhelm Backhaus: The Complete Acoustic & Selected Early Electric Recordings

£16.11

(APR)

Il Castrata del Granduca: Arias for Gaetano Berenstadt

£15.15

(Glossa)

Handel - Un’alma innamorata: Secular Cantatas and Instrumental Pieces

£11.59

(Pentatone)

A Baroque Christmas at Sono Luminus

£13.25

(Sono Luminus)

A Christmas Concert with Robert Shaw

£13.25

(Vox Classics)

Otto Klemperer: The Warner Classics Edition Vol.2 - Operas & Sacred Works

£109.20

(Warner)

Handel - Messiah (1741 Version)

£21.80

(Rondeau)

Victoria de los Angeles: The Warner Classics Edition

£170.95

(Warner)

Handel at Home Vol.2: Total Eclipse

£13.25

(Somm)

Milos: Baroque

£13.25

(Sony)

Corellimania: Corelli, JS Bach, Handel, Telemann

£13.25

(OUR Recordings)

Handel - Israel in Egypt

£13.25

(Avie)

Handel - Ombra mai fu: Arias, Scenes & Instrumental Music

£14.20

(Harmonia Mundi)

Matthias Kirschnereit: Time Remembered

£18.95

(Berlin Classics)

Janet Baker: A Celebration

£94.01

(Decca)

Decca Conductors’ Gallery

£98.76

(Australian Eloquence)

London circa 1740: Handel’s Musicians

£17.05

(Harmonia Mundi)

Rebay - Complete Music for Violin and Guitar

£10.65

(Brilliant Classics)

Queen Elisabeth Competition: Voice 2023 (Live)

£24.65

(Queen Elisabeth Competition)

Jean-Pierre Rampal plays Famous Flute Concertos

£40.80

(Warner)

Handel - Water & Fire

£8.69

(Pentatone)

Mythes: Szymanowski, Handel, etc.

£14.20

(Onyx)

Kaleidoscope: Music for Trombone and Piano

£11.88

(Willowhayne Records)

Mr Handel in the Pub: Baroque Meets Folk

£13.25

(Arcantus)

Handel - L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato

£22.75

(Harmonia Mundi)

Scandinavian Guitar Duo: All Classic

£13.25

(OUR Recordings)

Handel & Telemann - Cleofida, Queen of India

£33.88

(CPO)

Mr Charles the Hungarian: Handel’s Rival in Dublin

£14.49

(Linn)

Handel - Serse

£17.26

(Linn)

Otto Klemperer: The Warner Classics Edition Vol.1 - Symphonic Works & Concertos

£218.45

(Warner)

The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla: The Official Album

£15.15

(Decca)

Nina Kotova: Solo Cello

£12.61

(Delos)

Corelli & Handel - Encounters in Rome: Oboe, Strings & Claviorganum

£13.25

(Etcetera)

Handel - Coronation Anthems; Blow & Croft

£17.05

(Harmonia Mundi)

Rachmaninov - Pianist and Conductor: Legendary Recordings, 1919-1942

£37.96

(Naxos - Historical)

Crown and Glory: Music fit for a Coronation Day Celebration

£9.45

(Decca)

Handel & Purcell - The Crown: Coronation Anthems

£14.49

(Chateau de Versailles Spectacles)

Michael Spyres: Contra-Tenor

£13.25

(Erato)

Sonate a quattro: Goldberg, Fasch, Handel, Janitsch, Telemann

£13.25

(Audax)

Handel - 6 Violin Sonatas, op.1

£14.20

(Dux)

Handel - Water Music (Vinyl LP)

£24.65

(Erato)

Coronation: Music for Royal Occasions

£13.25

(Coro)

Amore-Dolore: Countertenor Arias

£10.60

(BIS)

John Eliot Gardiner: The Complete Recordings on Erato

£161.45

(Warner)

From Venice to Leipzig: Baroque Organ Works

£9.45

(Brilliant Classics)

Handel - Organ Concertos opp. 4 & 7 (arr. C Loret for solo organ)

£10.65

(Brilliant Classics)

Handel - Solomon

£24.65

(Ricercar)

Amate Stelle - Arias for Anna Maria Strada

£15.15

(Glossa)

Le Dolce Sirene

£11.88

(Reference Recordings)

Seong-Jin Cho: The Handel Project (Vinyl LP)

£33.92

(Deutsche Grammophon)

Seong-Jin Cho: The Handel Project

£14.20

(Deutsche Grammophon)

Stumm: Organ Works

£13.25

(Haenssler Classic)

Baroque Arabesque

£15.15

(Gramola)

Renee Fleming: Greatest Moments at the Met

£15.15

(Decca)

Simon Preston & Christ Church Cathedral Choir: Complete Argo & L’Oiseau-Lyre Recordings

£59.81

(Decca)

Eduard van Beinum: Complete Recordings on Decca & Philips

£108.55

(Decca)

Pie Jesu

£9.45

(Willowhayne Records)

Sliding Doors: Music for Clarinet and Piano

£13.25

(Etcetera)

Garland: 16 Songs for Soprano, Violin and Harp

£13.25

(Etcetera)

Filip Jers Quartet plays Classical

£13.25

(Prophone)

Baroque Recorder Concertos: Treasures from Swedish Collections

£13.25

(Proprius)

HM Queen Elizabeth II: The Commemorative Album

£15.15

(Decca)

Sapperlot: Music for Clavichord

£14.49

(Carpe Diem)

Wild - Complete Piano Music

£10.65

(Brilliant Classics)

Pastorale: Baroque Instrumental Music for Christmas

£15.15

(Christophorus)

Handel - Five Great Suites for Harpsichord

£14.20

(Challenge Classics)

Handel - Eternal Heaven

£13.25

(Erato)

German Delight: Chamber Music by Telemann, JS Bach & Handel

£17.05

(Querstand)

Vilem Veverka: Christmas Album

£15.68

(Supraphon)

Kings in the North

£16.10

(Aparte)

Walter Gieseking: His Columbia Graphophone Recordings (The Complete Warner Classics Edition)

£151.95

(Warner)

Joan Sutherland: Personal Choices

£8.08

(Alto)

German Baroque Trumpet Concertos

£12.30

(Naxos)

Roger Norrington: The Complete Erato Recordings

£113.95

(Erato)

Helen Donath: Christmas Concert

£11.35

(Orfeo - Orfeo d'Or)

Handel - Xerxes

£24.99

(Orfeo - Orfeo d'Or)

Handel - Nine German Arias

£13.25

(Haenssler Classic)

Capriccio 40-Year Anniversary: Vocal Soloists

£28.22

(Capriccio)

Diana Damrau: My Christmas

£15.15

(Erato)

Handel - Judas Maccabaeus

£19.90

(Orfeo - Orfeo d'Or)

Michel Corboz: The Complete Erato Recordings - Baroque & Renaissance Eras

£180.45

(Erato)

Organ Music from Central Germany

£17.05

(Querstand)

The Organ of St Jakobi, Stralsund

£17.05

(Querstand)

Handel - Theodora

£23.70

(Erato)

Sir Adrian Boult: The Decca Legacy Vol.2 - Baroque & Sacred Music

£66.84

(Australian Eloquence)

Handel - Amadigi di Gaula

£23.18

(Chandos - Chaconne)

Joyce DiDonato: Eden (Vinyl LP)

£29.99

(Erato)

Handel - Salve Regina

£14.49

(Ricercar)

Handel - Coronation Anthems, Dettingen Te Deum

£14.49

(Alpha)

Handel - Chandos Anthems

£14.49

(Chateau de Versailles Spectacles)

Tanja Zapolski: Timeless

£13.25

(Danacord)

Handel - Complete Recorder Sonatas

£13.25

(IBS Classical)

The Habsburg Garden of Eden

£9.45

(Brilliant Classics)

Handel - Oboe Concertos

£9.45

(Brilliant Classics)

Wanda Landowska plays Bach, Mozart, Handel, Scarlatti, Rameau

£33.88

(Haenssler Profil)

Handel - Caio Fabbricio

£19.90

(Signum)

Handel - Italian Cantatas

£9.45

(Brilliant Classics)

Liszt - Six Consolations & Other Reflective Pieces for Violin & Piano

£13.25

(CRD)

Jacqueline du Pre: The Complete Warner Recordings

£80.70

(Warner)

Handel - Rodelinda

£22.57

(Accent)

Phil Blech Wien + Olivier Latry: Live from Vienna

£12.83

(Deutsche Grammophon)

The Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II: Music from the Official Recording

£9.45

(Warner)

Angelica diabolica

£14.49

(Alpha)

Une nouvelle fete Baroque: 20 Years

£15.15

(Erato)

The Age of Bel Canto

£14.20

(Australian Eloquence)

Joan Sutherland: The Art of the Prima Donna

£14.20

(Australian Eloquence)

Handel - La Resurrezione

£24.65

(Linn)

James Galway plays Showpieces & The Magic Flute of James Galway

£15.15

(Dutton - Epoch)

Fou Ts’ong: Complete Westminster Recordings

£36.44

(Australian Eloquence)

A Night in London

£16.10

(Aparte)

Handel - Winged Hands: The Eight Great Suites & Overtures

£24.65

(Arcana)

Musica barocca: Baroque Masterpieces

£9.45

(Warner)

A Baroque Tenor: Arias for Annibale Fabbri

£15.15

(Pan Classics)

Joyce DiDonato: Eden

£15.15

(Erato)

Handel - Dualita: Opera Arias

£15.15

(Erato)

Kathleen Ferrier sings JS Bach & Handel

£8.08

(Alto)

Great Anthems & Choruses

£8.08

(Alto)

Handel - Semele

£23.25

(Ricercar)

Handel - Apollo e Dafne & Armida abbandonata

£8.69

(Pentatone)

Handel - Enchantresses

£14.49

(Alpha)

The New Gustav Leonhardt Edition

£75.95

(Warner)

Handel & D Scarlatti - Keyboard Works

£16.10

(Mirare)

Art Choral Vol.7: Noel

£14.20

(Atma Classique)

Erich Kleiber: Complete Decca Recordings

£49.55

(Decca)

Thrilling Tenor: Best Loved Opera Arias

£12.30

(Naxos)

Thomas Jensen Legacy Vol.5: Mendelssohn, Mozart, etc.

£13.25

(Danacord)

Handel - Eight Great Harpsichord Suites

£19.90

(Signum)

Jeanine De Bique: Mirrors

£17.05

(Berlin Classics)

Maria & Maddalena

£8.69

(Pentatone)

Ruggiero Ricci: Complete American Decca Recordings

£36.44

(Australian Eloquence)

Renaud Capucon: Un Violon a Paris

£16.10

(Erato)

Renaud Capucon: Un Violon a Paris (Vinyl LP)

£27.27

(Erato)

Sarah Aristidou: Aether

£14.49

(Alpha)

Time Traveler’s Suite

£8.32

(Pentatone)