Not long after this Handel was appointed Chapel master to the Duke of Chandos, and was expected to live at the princely mansion he inhabited.  The size and magnificence of The Cannons was the talk of the country for miles around.  Here the composer lived and worked, played the organ in the chapel, composed church music for the service and wrote his first English oratorio, “Esther.”  This was performed in the Duke’s chapel, and the Duke on this occasion handed the composer five thousand dollars.  Numerous compositions for the harpsichord belong to this period, among them the air and variations known as “The Harmonious Blacksmith.”  The story goes that Handel was walking to Cannons through the village of Edgeware, and being overtaken by a heavy shower, sought shelter in the smithy.  The blacksmith was singing at his work and his hammer kept time with his song.  The composer was struck with the air and its accompaniment, and as soon as he reached home, wrote out the tune with the variations.  This story has been disputed, and it is not known whether it is true or not.

When Handel first came to London, he had done much to encourage the production of opera in the Italian style.  Later these productions had to be given up for lack of money, and the King’s Theater remained closed for a long time.  Finally a number of rich men formed a society to revive opera in London.  The King subscribed liberally to the venture.  Handel was at once engaged as composer and impressario.  He started work on a new opera and when that was well along, set out for Germany, going to Dresden to select singers.  On his return he stopped at Halle, where his mother was still living, but his old teacher had passed away.

The new opera “Radamisto” was ready early in 1720, and produced at the Royal Academy of Music, as the theater was now called.  The success of the production was tremendous.  But Handel, by his self-will had stirred up envy and jealousy, and an opposition party was formed, headed by his old enemy from Hamburg, Buononcini, who had come to London to try his fortunes.  A test opera was planned, of which Handel wrote the third act, Buononcini the second and a third musician the first.  When the new work was performed, the third act was pronounced by the judges much superior to the second.  But Buononcini’s friends would not accept defeat, and the battle between all parties was violent.  Newspapers were full of it, and many verses were written.  Handel cared not a whit for all this tempest, but calmly went his way.

In 1723, his opera “Ottone” was to be produced.  The great singer Cuzzoni had been engaged, but the capricious lady did not arrive in England till the rehearsals were far advanced, which of course did not please the composer.  When she did appear she refused to sing the aria as he had composed it.  He flew into a rage, took her by the arm and threatened to throw her out of the window unless she obeyed.  The singer was so frightened by his anger that she sang as he directed, and made a great success of the aria.