rio (Swafford 97). Handel was one of the first completely international composers, and his music has a German seriousness, Italian suavity, and French grandeur, qualities that matured when the composer was in England, which provided the choral tradition that Handel made use of in his oratorios. Handel had an influence on composers for generations, largely on the basis of his oratorios.
Mozart was a child prodigy who toured as a virtuoso on the clavier between the ages of 6 and 15. When his father realized his talent, he devoted himself to developing the musical ability of the boy. The influences on the boy were many, for he traveled widely throughout Europe, studied the clavier, organ, and violin, and began composing at the age of 6. He learned immediately from each musical experience, usually wor
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