He was a bit of a prodigy; by age 7 he exhibited such proficiency at harpsichord and pipe organ that he sometimes stood in for his teacher at his job as the organist for church services.

His father died in 1697, and in 1702 Handel did study law for a time in his hometown at the University of Halle, but he quickly switched to a career devoted to music and took a job as an organist. From there, he moved around Europe, working in Hamburg and then Italy where he met many influential people and wrote wonderful operas.

In 1712, Handel moved to London and was given a yearly income of £200 by Queen Anne.

He had many admirers in London and his music was very well received by all.

He never married and was a very private person, so not a great deal is known about his personal life during these years.

Handel rented a newly built house at 25 Brook Street and moved there in 1723. Today this home is the location of the Handel House Museum (pictured) which is open to the public every day but Monday.

You can see the rooms furnished much as they would have been in Handel’s day and a collection of painting, prints, and manuscripts relating to his life.

His later years were plagued by ill health; he suffered a stroke in 1737 which made performing difficult and he started having problems with his vision which eventually ended in blindness. Despite these difficulties, he kept on his prolific composing, eventually switching to oratorios and producing masterpieces like the “Messiah” for which he is so well known.

A Handel biography would end with his death in 1759 after a long and remarkable life.

Handel House Museum

Address: 23-25 Brook Street, Mayfair, W1K 4HB

Telephone: 020 7495 1685

Opening Times

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm, Thursday 10am-8pm.

Pricing

£5 (Adult), £2 (Child), £4.50 (Concessions), FREE (Under 5s).

Photo courtesy: Yandle

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