Handel: Claviorganum (Concertos & Sonatas)

Featuring

Bart Naessens
Jan de Winne
Il Gardellino
George Frideric Handel

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Instruments

The claviorgan is a keyboard instrument that combines a stringed instrument (like a harpsichord) and an organ, played by a single musician.

Compositional Technique

Handel's Op. 7 organ concertos contain numerous dynamic markings and references to multiple keyboards, suggesting they were written for an instrument like the claviorgan.

Composer Biography

George Frideric Handel, the composer of the concertos on this album, likely knew and possibly used the claviorgan during his career in London.

Historical Context

King Henry VIII of England owned four claviorgans, including one in his private chambers at Greenwich Palace, suggesting he may have played it himself.

Historical Context

Claviorgans were common across Europe from the 15th to the 17th centuries, with many variants found in different regions.

Compositional Technique

The claviorgan allows for a wide range of articulation possibilities, combining the organ's sustained notes with the harpsichord's percussive character.