George Frideric Handel

Telemann and Steffani both encouraged him, Steffani recommending him as kapellmeister in Hannover. When he was 18 he went to Lübeck to visit Buxtehude, who wanted someone to replace him there and marry his daughter (Handel declined, as did J. S. Bach two years later). In Italy, he met both Scarlatti and Corelli; both influenced him. Bach admired but never met him, despite being lent a horse to make the journey. In London, Handel gave Gluck (who revered him) advice about composing for the English, and Gay studied and worked with him. He was still sending Telemann crates of rare plants in his sixties.