Handel's oratorio Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno was commissioned by Cardinal Pamphili, who also wrote the libretto, as an oratorio rather than an opera due to Vatican concerns about public morals.
Composer Biography
Handel died on April 14, 1759, a Saturday before Easter Sunday, almost fulfilling his wish to die on Good Friday to meet his Lord and Saviour on the day of His resurrection.
Composer Biography
Handel once threatened to throw the corpulent soprano Francesca Cuzzoni out of a window when she refused to sing his aria 'Falsa imagine', leading her to comply.
Composition History
Handel's first opera, Almira, was a great success but almost cost him his life when a jealous colleague, Johann Mattheson, challenged him to a duel.
Composer Biography
Handel's father was against him becoming a musician, leading Handel to secretly play the clavichord, a small and soft-toned instrument.
Cultural Impact
Handel was considered a 'pop star' before pop music existed, with his aria 'Ombra mai fu' remaining an international hit with millions of YouTube views.
Composer Biography
George Frideric Handel, the composer, was a 'true European' and cosmopolitan, adept at languages and dealing with people, and never dependent on a court or the Church.
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