What was Handel's main goal in the latter half of his career after moving to England?

• A. To comfort audiences with courtly instrumental music
• B. To focus on Italian opera prestige
• C. To craft a sonic space for England and a new national English sound based on the English oratorio
• D. To retire from public life

Answer: (C)

Handel’s late-career goal was to forge a distinctly English musical voice by developing the English oratorio. Moving to England gave him access to a thriving public concert scene and an audience hungry for English-language sacred drama, not the costly Italian opera that had dominated courtly taste. Oratorios offered a practical, audience-friendly vehicle: they could be performed in concert halls and churches, use English text, and feature monumental choral forces that suited public subscription concerts. By blending his European training with English idiom and biblical narratives, he created a sonic space and a national sound that audiences could claim as their own. Messiah and other English oratorios became emblematic of this national style, helping to shift English musical life toward a homegrown, widely accessible sacred repertoire. This direction represents a move away from pursuing Italian opera prestige and toward building a distinctive English musical identity.