As the popularity of Italian Opera faded, Handel turned to another up-and-coming popular genre, the oratorio. During 1706-1710 Handel lived in Italy and composed his first two oratorios. Over the course of the next few years, he created a series of works that became some of the most popular in all of the western tradition. Most famous among these was his telling of the life of Jesus, his “Messiah” (1792), and the “Hallelujah Chor