Text Box: 4. George Fredrick Handel…a German who gained his greatest acclaim while living in England. Handel, in fact, lived in England for over 40 years and even took British citizenship. He was actually born in Germany in 1685 and died in London in 1759 at age 74. It’s interesting to note that Beethoven considered him the greatest of all composers, saying that he could “learn from him”. Another interesting fact is that once in a sword duel, Handel was only saved when a button on his coat stopped the opponent’s sword point. He is ranked # 9 by Goulding. He is most famous for the Messiah and it’s Hallelujah Chorus.