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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 June 2021
A new and more complex picture of Handel is starting to emerge: cautious, especially where money is concerned; sensitive, not only about his great talent but also concerning his weaknesses; and stubborn, with a propensity to endanger himself rather than conciliate. Each of these character traits will be evident as we assess Handel's sense of self and his relationships with the persons who regarded themselves or whom we consider as his friends. To gain and maintain the status ‘friend of Handel’ was neither easy nor without peril.
Handel's relationship with his parents and what that may or may not tell us about his life as an adult provides our start. After that we will consider his genetic inheritance in terms of his body and the changes it underwent, along with his acute and chronic illnesses and their causes. Following that, his ‘social affections’, as Hawkins politely calls them, with both women and men, will be examined. Handel's inability to maintain certain friendships will be remarked. Then the elements of his character such as violent temper, swearing, piety, charity, and an interest in visual art will be scrutinized. Lastly, two pet themes of biographers – the opportunistic and independent Handels – will be tested for accuracy and validity.
Handel's Parents
Mainwaring's biography provides us with almost the only narrative of Handel’s early years and its stories have been widely reproduced. When the facts are checked against other sources, Mainwaring often proves to be in error, notably where dates are concerned. The judgements and characterizations may also be suspect, as we shall see, which opens the question of who it is that is telling the stories: Mainwaring, Handel, or one of the Smiths? Scholars have presumed that the stories were provided by Smith Jr, there being no evidence that Mainwaring ever met Handel or that anyone other than the Smiths participated in the kind of interviews at which such stories could be divulged. Smith Jr was part of a small group of Handel admirers who have been proposed as the driving force behind the production of the biography.
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