Händel: Suites pour clavecin

Featuring

Pierre Hantaï
George Frideric Handel

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Instruments

The harpsichord used for this recording was designed in 2004 by Jonte Knif, based on 18th-century German models.

Compositional Technique

Handel's 1720 harpsichord suites took many liberties with the traditional French suite model, juxtaposing eight very different structures.

Composition History

Handel rarely bothered to publish his harpsichord works, with the 1720 collection being his first ambitious publication for the instrument.

Critical Reception

Handel's 1720 harpsichord suites were a bestseller across Europe, reprinted multiple times in London, Paris, and Amsterdam.

Composer Biography

George Frideric Handel was renowned as a charismatic keyboard player, often making a name for himself as a 'claviériste' before being recognized as a composer.

Composition History

Handel published his 1720 harpsichord suites to prevent the circulation of 'incorrect copies' after learning of a pirated edition being prepared in the Netherlands.