G.F. HANDEL - Concerto Grosso Op. 6, nº 4 in A minor HWV 322 -ASMIF-Marriner

Georg Friedrich Händel - Concerto Grosso Op. 6, nº 4 in A minor HWV 322 -Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields - Neville Marriner.

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.

Concerto Grosso Op.6 No.4 HWV322

Movements:

00:00 I. Larghetto affetuoso
03:17 II. Allegro
05:57 III. Largo, e piano
08:28 IV. Allegro

The fourth concerto in A minor is a conventional orchestral concerto in four movements, with very little writing for solo strings, except for brief passages in the second and last movements.

The first movement, marked larghetto affetuoso, has been described as one of Handel's finest movements, broad and solemn. The melody is played by the first violins in unison, their falling appoggiatura semiquavers reflecting the galant style. Beneath them, the bass part moves steadily in quavers, with extra harmony provided by the inner parts.

The second allegro is an energetic fugue, the brief exchanges between concertino and ripieno strictly derived from the unusually long subject. The sombreness of the movement is underlined by the final cadence on the lowest strings of the violins and violas.

The largo e piano in F major is one of Handel's most sublime and simple slow movements, a sarabande in the Italian trio sonata style. Above a steady crotchet walking bass, the sustained theme is gently exchanged between the two violin parts, with imitations and suspensions; harmonic colour is added in the discreet viola part. In the closing bars the crotchet figure of the bass passes into the upper strings before the final cadence.

The last movement, an allegro in A minor, is a radical reworking of a soprano aria that Handel was preparing for his penultimate opera Imeneo. In the concerto, the material is more tightly argued, deriving from two fragmented highly rhythmic figures of 5 and 6 notes. Although there are unmistakable elements of wit in the imaginative development, the prevalent mood is serious: the sustained melodic interludes in the upper strings are tinged by unexpected flattened notes. In the coda, the first concertino violin restates the main theme, joined two bars later in thirds by the other solo violin and finally by repeated sustained pianissimo chords in the ripieno, modulating through unexpected keys. This is answered twice by two forte unison cadences, the second bringing the movement to a close.

[retfewte]

this Concerto Grosso is a real masterpiece.

[carolinetrace]

One of the most beautiful works ever uploaded to this site. Thank you.

[taironejaniski]

CONCERTO GROSSO É MODÉSTIA!!!
FINÍSSIMO!!

[meganschwarz]

the last movement of this concerto grosso uses the harpsichord galloping at one point just like the music did in opus 6 no. 11 which i think is the story of cinderella and that was the prince arriving at the ball. but i doubt handel was so silly as to make every concerto grosso the story of a relationship. those musicians are pretty sly.

[untze]

3:15 Para competen pulse el botón verde, para SINpeten pulse el botón rojo.

[alessandro]

Ho una mia personale idea della musica di Haendel : " melodia che danza"

[meganschwarz]

this is probably trite but i think handel was very sympathetic to women, i think like in opus 12 no. 8. i don't know if that's the right number

[zlateandonoski]

Beautifule..why once Motzart says ..i dont like Handels music..im sad with that..please people tell me because i like Handel veru much an im musician

[meganschwarz]

butit sort of does cast a light on things to listen to a lot of handel, haydn and mozart's music as arias

Para que pone Handel las ligaduras ? Será para articular ? Que horror...