The Concerti Grossi, Op. 6, or Twelve Grand Concertos,
HWV 319–330, are 12 concerti grossi by George
Frideric Handel for a concertino trio of two violins
and violoncello and a ripieno four-part string
orchestra with harpsichord continuo. First published by
subscription in London by John Walsh in 1739, in the
second edition of 1741 they became Handel's Opus 6.
Taking the older concerto da chiesa and concerto da
camera of Arcangelo Corelli as models, rather than the
later three-movement Venetian...(+)
The Concerti Grossi, Op. 6, or Twelve Grand Concertos,
HWV 319–330, are 12 concerti grossi by George
Frideric Handel for a concertino trio of two violins
and violoncello and a ripieno four-part string
orchestra with harpsichord continuo. First published by
subscription in London by John Walsh in 1739, in the
second edition of 1741 they became Handel's Opus 6.
Taking the older concerto da chiesa and concerto da
camera of Arcangelo Corelli as models, rather than the
later three-movement Venetian concerto of Antonio
Vivaldi favoured by Johann Sebastian Bach, they were
written to be played during performances of Handel's
oratorios and odes. Despite the conventional model,
Handel incorporated in the movements the full range of
his compositional styles, including trio sonatas,
operatic arias, French overtures, Italian sinfonias,
airs, fugues, themes and variations and a variety of
dances. The concertos were largely composed of new
material: they are amongst the finest examples in the
genre of baroque concerto grosso.
The eleventh concerto was probably the last to be
completed according to the date in the autograph
manuscript. Handel chose to make this concerto an
adaptation of his recently composed but still
unpublished organ concerto HWV 296 in A major: in
either form it has been ranked as one of the very
finest of Handel's concertos, "a monument of sanity and
undemonstrative sense", according to Basil Lam. The
concerto grosso is more carefully worked out, with an
independent viola part and modifications to accommodate
the string soloists. The ad libitum sections for organ
are replaced by accompanied passages for solo violin.
The order of the third and fourth movements was
reversed so that the long andante became the central
movement in the concerto grosso.
The final allegro is an ingenious instrumental version
of a da capo aria, with a middle section in the
relative minor key, F sharp minor. It incorporates the
features of a Venetian conerto: the brilliant virtuosic
episodes for solo violin alternate with the four-bar
orchestral ritornello, which Handel varies on each
reprise.
Although originally written for a small String Chamber
orchestra, I created this arrangement for Woodwind
Quartet (Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet and Bassoon).
PARTITION