George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel (as he was known after his change of nationality, as he signed himself, and as he is known in the English-speaking world) (23rd February 1685–14th April 1759) was a German/English baroque composer who was a leading composer of concerti grossi, operas, and oratorios. Born Georg Friedrich Händel in Halle an der Saale (Germany), Handel lived most of his life in England, and became English by Act of Parliament in 1727. His most famous piece is the Messiah, an oratorio set to texts from the King James Bible; other well-known works are the Water Music and the Music for the Royal Fireworks. He deeply influenced many of the composers who came after him, including Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven, and his work helped lead the transition from the Baroque to the classical era.