The Germans have a lot of good drinking songs. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit if some of them were written by Handel or other famous composers. When the composers were between patrons, they still had to put food on the table. And writing “popular” music would be one way to make some money. Other ways included school teaching and being a musician. But being a top composer back then, working under the patronage of some noble or royalty, paid well and one could live somewhat like today’s “music stars”.
The Germans have a lot of good drinking songs. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit if some of them were written by Handel or other famous composers. When the composers were between patrons, they still had to put food on the table. And writing “popular” music would be one way to make some money. Other ways included school teaching and being a musician. But being a top composer back then, working under the patronage of some noble or royalty, paid well and one could live somewhat like today’s “music stars”.