And what was England doing at this period? One genius of the highest rank, some would say the greatest child of music that England has ever produced, was at work in the form of Henry Purcell, whose too short life was in part occupied by the composition of opera. Spontaneity of melody, freshness and boldness of thought, and rare dramatic conception are the chief characteristics of the works of our early English master. Many of these are operas by courtesy only, for in only one of them, _Dido and Æneas_, is the music continuous throughout; this, however, may claim for itself the title of the first English opera. Before this time (about 1675) masques and plays had employed music incidentally, but _Dido_ is the earliest known instance of its continuous use. Purcell did not follow up his early operatic success, most of the other stage works, such as _King Arthur_, containing spoken dialogue. It is unfortunate for England and her musical sons that the dominating personality of Handel so soon overshadowed all other musical life in this country: the wholly sound and æsthetically true national influence of Purcell would undoubtedly have been large, and it is not too much to say that an early school of genuine English opera might have flourished, had it not been that the great Saxon composer was, within a few years of Purcell’s death, turning his attention to the production of opera in London. [Sidenote: =Handel, 1685-1759=] For although Handel produced operas in Germany, in Italy, and in England, it was in London that the very large majority of his pieces first saw the light, and that he achieved the greatest success. Between the date of the first performance of _Rinaldo_ at the Haymarket, February 24th, 1711, and that of his last opera, _Deidamia_ in 1741, Handel composed no less than forty-two grand operas. With indomitable energy, and in face of very frequent misfortune, he poured forth these works, many of which contain powerful music. Undeterred by failure, he took one theatre after another in London, sometimes making much money, at other times becoming bankrupt. The final stage in Handel’s operatic career was brought about by a lengthy and expensive rivalry between him and a clever Italian composer, Buononcini, who had been brought to England by an influential body of nobles and politicians whom the fiery Handel, and his supporters, had offended. The dispute became more than a musical one, and developed social and political sides: an amusing epigram by one John Byrom neatly sums up the situation:— “Some say, compared to Buononcini, That Mynheer Handel’s but a ninny; Others aver, that he to Handel Is scarcely fit to hold a candle; Strange all the difference there should be ’Twixt Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee.” [Sidenote: =Handel’s Rival=]