Ellen T. Harris’ new book “George Frideric Handel: A Life with Friends” isn’t a conventional Handel biography. The author opens with the composer on his deathbed, in the city where he lived for nearly ...

With Handel’s “Messiah” at hand once again — the Handel and Haydn Society’s annual performances are Friday through Sunday and Boston Baroque’s follow Dec. 12-13 — it’s worth pausing to consider how ...