Born in the same year as Bach, Handel was a German composer and organist producing nearly 50 operas and 30 oratorios (large-scale musical compositions on a sacred or semi-sacred subject). The "Messiah", "Sarabande", "Water Music", "Solomon" and "Xerxes" are the most famous of his works.
At an early age, although he showed great talent, he was not allowed by his father to study music as it would not provide him the financial means to live. Handel had to sneak a small keyboard at the loft of his house to secretly practice without his father knowing it. As a result of his father's pressure, he agreed to study law but later on he changed path and dedicated himself entirely to music.
During the course of his musical career, Handel suffered stress and depressions, yet he remained committed to music by fighting all adversities in his life. Even when he suffered a stroke in his 50s, which impaired the movement of his right hand, he continued composing and restarted playing the organ.
Handel was severely overweight, a rarity for the period that he lived, suffering from an "extraordinary appetite". Overeating combined with drinking led to lead poisoning which in turn caused serious health problems. At the end of his life, he experienced debilitating cataracts, and the operations to restore his vision left him completely blind, just as was the case for Bach. Despite this adversity, Handel maintained a keen sense of humour and continued donating money to charitable organisations, for which he was so well known.
