Händel - Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 1 in G Major, HWV 319 (1/4)

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)
"Concerti Grossi Op.6, No.1 in G Major"

mov. I - A tempo giusto
mov. II - Allegro

When someone asked Sir Edward Elgar how he had learned to write so well for strings, his answer was unequivocal: 'You will find the answer in Handel; I went to him for help years ago.' And it is true that the effectiveness and the sheer beauty of the string writing in these Handel concertos is marvellous. With the concertos of Bach, Handel's Opus 6 set of twelve concerti grossi represents the high point in baroque orchestral music.

Handel was the greatest cosmopolitan of the age: a German composer, living in London, writing Italian operas. Of course he also wrote a good deal more, such as the oratorios in English which became his stock-in-trade when the Italian opera went out of fashion. For he was an immensely practical musician, who made his way by collaborating with the best artists of the day and working at the highest levels of performance, creating the music the audience wanted, having already made a strong impression on the direction of public taste.

The Opus 6 concerti grossi came into being in a manner at once typical of Handel's career. When the concerti of the Italian ex-patriot Bononcini became all the rage in London, Handel's publisher, John Walsh suggested to the great man that he might compose something along similar lines. He duly obliged, and six weeks later he completed these twelve concertos.

These twelve concertos are essentially string music, with keyboard continuo and in some editions the option of oboe parts also, which are not employed here. Handel's formula is closest to the model of the concerto da chiesa established by Corelli a generation before, with the alternation of quicker and slower identities, and with a concertino group of two violins and cello set against the ensemble. However, in great music such as this it is dangerous to be too proscriptive in one's descriptions, since there are so many varieties and shadings.

-Terry Barfoot

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Georg
• Friedrich
• Händel
• Concerto
• Concerti
• Grosso
• Grossi
• Major
• tempo
• giusto
• allegro

[ohyeeaaaahh]

well.... haha this version is in f# not g

[The30YearOldVirgin]

@ohyeeaaaahh

In baroque tuning, A4=415 Hz , which makes it sound half-step lower than modern concert pitch (A4=440Hz). That's why it seems to be in F#, when in fact is in G.

[miyuve]

There is nothing more relaxing than great music and beautiful pictures of London...Thank you for posting this video...Great work! BRAVO!!

[mikel15858]

Haha we almost bought a full set of baroque bows for our orchestra when we played this. Then we discovered they were $150 a bow :/

[keesvangulik127]

O Händel, my Händel.

[gunbound15]

Sometimes I enjoy picking up illegals from the home depot and taking them home and make them watch me asphyxiate myself.

[frankn0811]

I heard this piece tonight on the classical music station of South Florida, Miami. I was not familiar to it and I have the pleasure of making the discovery TONIGHT....sadly of missing it after so many years listeniong to classical musi....in excess of 50....however, it's never too late....

Frank in Miami

[MeinKomponist]

@craftsjames

The Recording is the one with "Les Arts Florissants" and William Christie

[craftsjames]

I love this recording. Where can I find it?

[dagoelius]

so many versions of this piece and NOT the one Im after *sigh*.... anyone know the version on Richard Edlinger's Baroque festival?

[5seconddancePARTY]

@ohyeeaaaahh Well technically it's not F#, the older instruments were off just a tad, so it's an almost F#