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Georg Frideric Handel was a musical genius. He wrote a great deal of music, but is remembered mostly for his operas
and oratorios. An oratorio is a very watered-down version of an opera. It includes singing and a storyline (about
religious events), but no costumes or staging. During the Lent season in England, all theatres were closed so the
church was the only place for "entertainment." Handel realized that his operas were not prospering financially, so he
decided to try a new world of composition: oratorios. Handel is generally credited with the creation of the oratorio,
although it was drawn from many different art forms from various countries. His works consisted of symphonies,
operas, chamber works, in addition to other types of musical styles. He was buried in Westminster Abbey in 1759.
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