George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was a German-born composer who spent most of his career in England, where he became a towering figure in Baroque music. His gift for writing memorable, singable melodies made him one of the most performed composers of his era, and his influence on keyboard music remains substantial in pedagogy today.
Handel composed the "Messiah" oratorio in 1741, and the Hallelujah Chorus became its most celebrated movement. The piece exemplifies his mastery of harmonic architecture and structural clarity, qualities that make his work enduringly valuable for teaching musical form and expressive writing.