Posted by Jeff Crickley on July 03, 19102 at 08:57:53:

In Reply to: After the death of Henry Purcell posted by Phil Cole on July 01, 19102 at 17:34:30:

Greetings Phil,
What of Handel? He certainly was of German origin, but at 25 years of age settled in England and lived out his whole life there until his death in 1759 at the age of 74. He was naturalised British, and certainly as he has become recognised as one of the most "English" of English composers, his great and special legacy has been inherited by the English rather than by the Germans. Among native-born English composers, there were many composers of exceptional ability and of high stature in history, for the remainder of the 18th century, if lacking the genius of Purcell and Handel, they certainly were very influential in their own right. This group includes Thomas Augustine Arne, William Boyce, Maurice Greene, and later on James Hook, Charles Dibdin and the like. From the 19th century dates William Sterndale Bennett and Sullivan's comic genius. The 20th century saw the real ressurection of English music, of which Walton was the fountainhead: he is credited with restoring England to the musical prominence it had in Handel's day. And then, of course, don't forget the great Benjamin Britten.
As a whole however, posterity tends to remember one great name to come after Purcell: Handel.

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