The Six Fugues or Voluntarys for keyboard were published in London in 1735, fifteen years after the Suites, when Handel was fifty.
Recording & Production
This recording of Handel's harpsichord works was made in April and May of 1994.
Composer Biography
George Frideric Handel, like most composers of his era, was a virtuoso keyboard player renowned for his improvisational skills.
Performer Biography
Paul Nicholson, the harpsichordist on this recording, is an associate musical director of the annual London Handel Festival.
Composition History
Handel's collection of eight 'Great Suites' for harpsichord was published in London in 1720, not long after he had settled in England.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Handel's dance music is notably secular, reflecting his humanistic approach, which ranks him alongside Mozart.
Compositional Technique
Handel often favored the 'running' Italian corrente in his suites, with its regular quavers and semiquavers, over the metrically complex French courante.
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