English language" by music historian Stanley Sadie, Handel's Messiah continues to receive lavish and popular praise (Barber, 1994, p. 2). The English oratorio remains one of the most recognizable works of music, and earned its composer considerable fame and fortune during his lifetime. Born on the 23rd of February of 1685, Georg Friederich Handel was the son of German barber-doctor Georg, and his second wife, Dorothea. The Handel family resided in Halle, a small Saxony town on a tributary of the Elbe River. However, his musical prowess and sense of purpose drove the composer to travel: in addition to many parts of Germany, Handel also lived in Italy, Ireland, and England. All the places in which he lived offered the composer inspiration for his music. Starting with a humble career as a church organist, Handel eventually tackled the awesome tasks of writing operas, anthems, psalms, arias, cantatas, and his signature...
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