George Frideric Handel was the first great man of the world among the composers of his epoch. From the very beginnings of his music career he was always successful, both as composer and as a fascinating organ virtuoso and improvisor. He always composed his works for a certain occasion, for a certain region and for an audience with which he was well acquainted. His enormous success, therefore, is largely based on the fact that he couched his musical statements in a "language" which the particular audience understood, that therefore, like a good orator, he formulated his thoughts according to the background of the listener. In this respect his works are reflections of the rapport between composer and listener, although he was fully conscious of the moral duty of the artist to hold the listener in such a way that, on hearing the music, he might become a different, a better human being.
Händel had studied all the music styles of his period from the very foundations. At the age of 18 he was working at the Hamburg opera as violinist, harpsichordist and composer. Five years later he travelled to Italy, the undisputed centre of Baroque musical life, where he entered the circle close to cardinal Ottoboni, the great patron of the arts. He worked together with the most important Italian composers (Corelli, Scarlatti) and studied their manner of writing. Thus he established himself in every sector, becoming a genuine expert, able to play himself what he composed. His education and proficiency in languages, his taste in every field of art (later in England hea acquired an important collection of paintings) sharpened his innate skill at accurately touching the nerve of the public. Already from his period in Hamburg Händel was counted as one of the famous personalities in international music. Following his stay in Italy (1706-1710) and his success there, the German princely courts almost fought with each other to get this new star under firm contract, while Händel himself recognized and made the most of his market value. He was one of the few pre-classical composers who also made their way in social and economic life. His collaboration with publishers ensured his works widespread distribution and provided him with safe revenues. It is therefore not surprising that large sections of Händel's compositions are available in various contemporary editions, many of them in differing versions and instrumentations.