Bach was fond of listening to the music of other composers. If he and one of his elder sons happened to be in church when a Fugue was played, directly the subject had been stated he always pointed out how it ought to be developed. If the composer knew his business and fulfilled Bach’s anticipations, he was pleased and nudged his son to draw his attention to the fact. Is this not evidence of his impartial interest in other people’s compositions? I have mentioned already the composers whom in his youth Bach esteemed, loved, and studied. Later, when experience ripened his critical faculty, he had other favourites, among them Imperial Kapellmeister Fux, Handel, Caldara,(208) Reinhard Keiser, Hasse,(209) the two Grauns,(210) Telemann,(211) Zelenka,(212) Benda,(213) etc., and, in general, the distinguished musicians at Dresden and Berlin. He was acquainted with all except the first four of those I mention. In his youth Bach was intimate with Telemann.(214) He also had a very warm regard for Handel and often expressed a desire to know him. As Handel, like himself, was a famous performer on the Organ and Clavier, many in Leipzig and its neighbourhood wished to bring the two great men together. But Handel, then living in London, never found time for a meeting during the visits he paid to Halle, his native town. On his first visit in 1719, Bach was at Cöthen, only some twenty miles distant. As soon as he was informed of Handel’s arrival he lost not a moment in setting out to visit him, but on his arrival found that Handel had returned to England. At the time of Handel’s second visit, between 1730 and 1740,(215) Bach was prevented from leaving Leipzig by indisposition. But no sooner was he advised of Handel’s arrival at Halle than he sent his eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann, to beg him to visit Leipzig, an invitation which Handel was unable to accept. In 1752 or 1753, when Handel paid his third visit to Germany,(216) Bach was dead. He had always expressed the strongest desire to know Handel, and the Leipzig people were disappointed in their wish to hear the two great men together. While Hasse was Kapellmeister at Dresden both the Opera and Kapelle flourished. Bach had many friends at Dresden, who held him in high regard. Among them may be mentioned Hasse and his wife, the celebrated Faustina.(217) They often visited Leipzig and were admirers of the Cantor’s rare talents. Hence, at Dresden he was always received in the most respectful manner and often visited the Opera, generally accompanied by his eldest son. When the time for their journey approached Bach would say in fun, “Well, Friedemann, shall we go to Dresden to hear the pretty tunes(218) again?” Innocent as the jest was, I am sure Bach would not have uttered it to any but his son, who already could distinguish between great music and agreeable trifles.