Books by William Smith Rockstro

A friend and pupil of Mendelssohn, William Smith Rockstro (1823-95) composed and wrote about music. This elegant work of 1886 gives due weight to the development of music in England, including a chapter on Handel that reflects his enduring influence on national taste.

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), a larger-than-life composer who impressed all who met him, is beloved the world over, his genius vividly displayed in his Messiah and Zadok the Priest. This biography by the composer and author William Smith Rockstro (1823-95) was first published in 1883.