Opera singers of C18th were as famous as premier football players today. Donald Burrows reveals the scandals that made Handel's theatre the talk of the town.

Transcript -- Handel's Patrons

In commemoration of Handel's 250th anniversary, world renowned Handel scholar and Open University Professor Donald Burrows introduces one of the most famous composers of the eighteenth century. Devised for non-musicians and beginners, the 5 video and 5 audio tracks in this album explore the music that made Handel famous. His operas are classics of the Baroque style, his oratorios are the basis of English choral tradition, his music still played today at every monarch's coronation. This "Great Londoner" became an icon in his own lifetime. What is the secret of his success? What was one of Handel's performances like, and how powerful is his legacy?