POT-BOILERS

Even Handel wrote **“potboilers”**—quick, crowd‑pleasing pieces to pay the bills.

At a promenade concert he sat with friends and asked one of them, “Come listen to this. Tell me what you think.” After a minute the friend shrugged: “It’s not worth it. Pretty poor stuff.”

Handel didn’t get offended. He smiled: “You’re right. It’s very poor stuff. I thought so too when I finished it.”

Sometimes the composer is the harshest critic—and the most honest about deadlines.