Handel, G.F.: Keyboard Suites Nos. 3, 4, 7, 8

Featuring

Evgeni Koroliov
George Frideric Handel

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Performer Biography

Pianist Evgeni Koroliov is highly regarded for his spiritual understanding of the works he performs, rather than spectacular showmanship.

Composer Biography

Unlike Bach, who spent his life in official posts, Handel was a freelance composer whose music was aimed at a paying, middle-class audience.

Composition History

Handel's first volume of harpsichord suites was published in 1720 to counteract a pirated edition that had appeared without his knowledge.

Interpretation

To fully realize Handel's music, performers often need to add improvisatory embellishments and small cadenzas, especially in slow movements, due to his less precise notation compared to Bach.

Composition History

Handel secured a royal copyright privilege for his harpsichord suites after discovering they had been pirated while he was abroad recruiting opera singers.

Compositional Technique

Handel's harpsichord suites often depart from the traditional Baroque suite movement order (Allemande-Courante-Sarabande-Gigue) to give each suite a unique form.