Handel, George Frideric

German (until 1715)  Georg Friedrich Händel  or  Georg Friedrich Haendel  German-born English composer of the late Baroque era, noted particularly for his operas, oratorios, and instrumental compositions. He wrote the most famous of all oratorios, the Messiah (1741), and is also known for such occasional pieces as Water Music (1717) and Music for the Royal Fireworks (1749).