Johann Sebastian Bach

Was born in Eisenach, the capital of the duchy of

Saxe-Eisenach,
in present-day Germany, on 21 March
1685 O.S. (31 March 1685).
He was the eighth and youngest child of Johann
Ambrosius Bach,
the director of the town musicians, and Maria
Elisabeth
Lämmerhirt. His father likely taught him violin
and basic music theory.;

Bach was appointed court musician in the chapel of Duke Johann Ernst III

 in Weimar. His role there is unclear, but it probably included menial,
non-musical duties. During his seven-month tenure at Weimar, his
reputation as a keyboardist spread so much that he was invited to inspect
the new organ and give the inaugural recital at the New Church
(now Bach Church) in Arnstadt, located about 30 kilometres (19 mi)
southwest of Weimar.

From an early age, Bach studied the works of his musical contemporaries of the

Baroque period and those of prior generations, and those influences were

reflected in his music. Like his contemporaries Handel, Telemann and Vivaldi,

Bach composed concertos, suites, recitatives, da capo arias, and four-part choral

music and employed basso continuo. Bach's music was harmonically more innovative

than his peer composers, employing surprisingly dissonant chords .

progressions, often with extensive exploration of harmonic possibilities within one piece.
 
Was a German-British Baroque composer well
known for his operas, oratorios, anthems,
 concerti grossi, and organ concertos.
Handel received his training in Halle and
worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy
before settling in London in 1712, where he
spent the bulk of his career and became a
naturalised British subject in 1727.

He was strongly influenced both by the

middle-German polyphonic choral tradition
and by composers of the Italian Baroque.
Handel started three commercial opera
companies to supply the English nobility with
Italian opera. In 1737, he had a physical
breakdown, changed direction creatively,
and addressed the middle class and made a
transition to English choral works.

Although Mainwaring records that Handel

wrote weekly when assistant to Zachow and
as probationary organist at Domkirche part
of his duty was to provide suitable music no
sacred compositions from his Halle period
can now be identified. Mttheson, however,
summarised his opinion of Handel's church
cantatas written in Halle:
George Frideric Handel