MUSIC SATURDAY - HÄNDEL's CONCERTI GROSSI

“Where words fail, music speaks.” - Hans Christian Andersen

Our memories are one of the fundamental things that define us, and to a certain extent, influence who we are and how we shall react to present and future situations. Many of those memories, for me at least, revolve around music. Music that we first heard on a certain occasion, background music that assumed special importance because of what was happening to us at a certain moment, music that was recommended to us by a special person our lives, music that was given to us as a gift, music that we heard at a concert where we were with someone special, music that we perhaps played on a particular moment when there was nothing else that we could do except play music…

Rallentanda, one of the readers of my blog (hello, Rall!), reminded me the other day through one her comments of a special moment in the past when I was first told to listen to a magnificent set of concerti by Georg Friederich Händel. The one that recommended them to me was my music teacher in High School, the one who also encouraged me to take up the study of music theory and the one who played on the piano my first compositions. I remember with fondness and gratitude that very special person who first saw sparks of musical talent in my nature and fanned them into a flame that has been kept alight for decades now. And these concerti always remind me of her, whenever I hear them (and that is often)!

So here are Georg Friedrich Händel’s Concerti Grossi Op 6, Nos 1-12, played by  The Avision Ensemble, conducted by Pavlo Beznosiuk.

Concerto Grosso in G Major, Op. 6, No. 1, HWV 319:

0:00:00 - I. A tempo giusto

0:01:33 - II. Allegro

0:03:17 - III. Adagio

0:05:52 - IV. Allegro

0:08:28 - V. Allegro

Concerto Grosso in F Major, Op. 6, No. 2, HWV 320:

0:11:21 - I. Andante larghetto

0:15:31 - II. Allegro

0:17:50 - III. Largo - Larghetto andante e piano

0:19:58 - IV. Allegro ma non troppo

Concerto Grosso in E Minor, Op. 6, No. 3, HWV 321:

0:22:22 - I. Larghetto

0:23:28 - II. Andante

0:24:57 - III. Allegro

0:27:23 - IV. Polonaise: Andante

0:32:22 - V. Allegro, ma non troppo

Concerto Grosso in A Minor, Op. 6, No. 4, HWV 322:

0:33:42 - I. Larghetto affettuoso

0:36:25 - II. Allegro

0:39:23 - III. Largo e piano

0:41:48 - IV. Allegro

Concerto Grosso in D Major, Op. 6, No. 5, HWV 323:

0:44:47 - I. [Larghetto e staccato]

0:46:20 - II. Allegro

0:48:33 - III. Presto

0:52:38 - IV. Largo

0:54:46 - V. Allegro

0:56:58 - VI. Menuet: Un poco larghetto

Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 6, No. 6, HWV 324:

1:00:01 - I. Largo e affettuoso

1:03:17 - II. Allegro, ma non troppo

1:04:56 - III. Musette: Larghetto

1:09:58 - IV. Allegro

1:13:01 - V. Allegro

Concerto Grosso in B-Flat Major, Op. 6, No. 7, HWV 325:

1:15:29 - I. Largo

1:16:25 - II. Allegro

1:19:23 - III. Largo, e piano

1:22:31 - IV. Andante

1:26:18 - V. Hornpipe

Concerto Grosso in C Minor, Op. 6, No. 8, HWV 326:

1:29:34 - I. Allemande

1:36:08 - II. Grave

1:37:41 - III. Andante allegro

1:39:36 - IV. Adagio

1:40:41 - V. Siciliana: Andante

1:44:12 - VI. Allegro

Concerto Grosso in F Major, Op. 6, No. 9, HWV 327:

1:45:40 - I. Largo

1:47:11 - II. Allegro

1:51:04 - III. Larghetto

1:54:24 - IV. Allegro

1:56:10 - V. Menuet

1:57:30 - VI. Gigue

Concerto Grosso in D Minor, Op. 6, No. 10, HWV 328:

1:59:45 - I. Overture

2:01:14 - II. Allegro Lento

2:03:26 - III. Air: Lento

2:06:24 - IV. Allegro

2:08:37 - V. Allegro

2:11:22 - VI. Allegro moderato

Concerto Grosso in A Major, Op. 6, No. 11, HWV 329:

2:13:13 - I. Andante larghetto, e staccato

2:17:24 - II. Allegro

2:19:07 - III. Largo, e staccato

2:19:38 - IV. Andante

2:24:03 - V. Allegro Concerto Grosso in B Minor, Op. 6, No. 12, HWV 330:

2:29:21 - I. Largo

2:31:20 - II. Allegro

2:34:13 - III. Aria: Larghetto e piano

2:37:34 - IV. Largo

2:38:24 - V. Allegro