When Handel performed his own concertos, he would often enrich his solo part with improvised insertions, a practice reflected in this recording.
Interpretation
This recording combines two versions of Handel's Concerto in F major HWV 293, featuring the recorder as the solo instrument embedded in the orchestral texture of the organ concerto.
Performer Biography
Maurice Steger, the recorder player and conductor on this album, is celebrated internationally as the 'Paganini of the recorder' and 'one of the world's finest recorder players'.
Historical Context
Handel's overwhelming success and his status as an 'English national composer' were partly due to his music's ability to create an identity for British listeners.
Instruments
The album features a variety of period-appropriate recorders, including a common flute after J. Denner, a fifth flute after early baroque models, and a sixth flute after B. Reich.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Handel often reused his own compositions, a strategy that helped him solidify his position with the audience by creating a sense of familiarity.
Recording & Production
The recording integrates the virtuoso harpsichord part of Handel's Chaconne in G major into a framing ritornello played by the orchestra.
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