Handel: Concerti a due cori

Freiburger Barockorchester, Goltz, Gottfried von der, Müllejans, Petra

HMM 905272

Throughout his life Handel had a special relationship to the genre of the concerto. While most composers endeavoured to flatter the public's taste through the virtuosity of the pieces or to accommodate amateurs who expected a repertoire appropriate to their abilities, Handel made his mark in his later years by writing concertos that served as interludes (intermedia) for performances of larger-format works. He composed the three Concerti a due cori (double choir concerts) for the oratorio season of Covent Garden 1747 / 1748, which offered the audience a double innovation. For these concerts, Handel revised his concept of transcription by reissuing his extremely successful choral works in the form of instrumental, wonderfully orchestrated concertos. However, Handel's orchestra was very special. He recruited oboists, bassoonists, horn players and other wind players from former military bands to form two choirs of wind instruments and to create new effects and orchestral timbres with them in addition to the string instruments.

Works:

• Handel: Concerto a due cori in F major, HWV 333 Handel: Concerto a due cori in F major, HWV 334 Handel: Concerto a due cori No. 1 in B flat major HWV 332

CD x 1

Harmonia Mundi

4/6/18

3149020527221