Handel: The 8 Great Suites for Keyboard

Featuring

Danny Driver
George Frideric Handel

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Composition History

Handel secured the post of Kapellmeister to Georg, Elector of Hanover, in 1710, with unusually favorable terms allowing him extensive leave.

Composer Biography

Handel moved to London in 1712 and became a court 'insider', receiving an annual pension from Queen Anne, which was continued by George I.

Composer Biography

George Frideric Handel, dubbed 'Il caro Sassone' (The dear Saxon), cultivated support from wealthy patrons during his Italian sojourn from 1706 to 1710.

Compositional Technique

Unlike Bach's keyboard suites, Handel's 'Great Suites' are unpredictable in their number and ordering of movements, often giving the impression of written-down improvisations.

Composer Biography

Handel was acclaimed as 'the Orpheus of our Century' and Henry Purcell's successor as Britain's national composer, even before he took British citizenship in 1727.

Notable Performances

In 1707, Handel displayed his prowess on the organ at S. Giovanni, astonishing everyone present, and later competed in a keyboard trial with Domenico Scarlatti.

Composition History

Handel published his 'Suites de pièces pour le clavecin' in London in 1720, partly as a response to error-riddled pirated editions circulating in Amsterdam.