H ndel travelled abroad to engage singers and in the 8 years until the academy closed because of lack of support he composed 14 operas, among them Radamisto , Rodelinda , Admeto , and Tolemeo . In 1727, for the coronation of George II, H ndel wrote 4 anthems, including Zadok the Priest , wihich has been sung at every British coronation since then. The success of Gay's The Begger Opera and imitative works was the principle cause of the falling-away of support for H ndel's company. He went to Italy to hear operas by composers such as Porpora and Pergolesi and to engage the leading Italian singers. Ironically, released from the conventions of opera seria , H ndel's dramatic gifts found wider and more expressive outlets in the oratorio form.
Scores contain stage directions and the use of choirs and orchestras became more dramatic and rich.
He conducted several oratorio performances in London 1735, playing his own organ concertos and entr'actes. Nevertheless he continued to write operas and between 1737 and 1740 composed Berenice , Serse , Imeneo , and Deidamia . In 1737 H ndel's health cracked under the strain of his operatic labours and he had a stroke. Following his recovery, he wrote a series of oratorios, including Messiah , produced Dublin, 1742. By this work his name is known throughout the world, yet it is something of an oddity in H ndel's work since he was not a religious composer in the accepted sense.