George Frideric Handel’s (1685-1759) keyboard
music suffers neglect for two major reasons. Firstly, he is largely
overshadowed by his contemporary Johann Sebastian Bach whose vast catalogue of
keyboard music is widely performed and recorded. It is regarded as essential
study for all professional and aspiring pianists and harpsichordists. Furthermore,
Bach is considered to have substantial intellectual and transcendental content
denied to Handel. At present, the Arkiv catalogues lists nearly ten times the
number of CDs devoted to Bach’s keyboard works as to Handel’s. Some of Handel’s
Suites have only two currently available recordings. And secondly, Handel’s
other music has ‘overshadowed’ his contribution to the keyboard repertoire.
Listeners are more likely to turn to his Water
and Firework Music, Messiah and even the operas rather than devote
time to his harpsichord works.
Handel wrote a great deal for the
harpsichord including around 25 suites and many smaller standalone pieces such
as lessons, chaconnes, fugues and fantasias. Musicologists divide the Suites
into a number of collections. Firstly there are the ‘Eight Great Suites’ (HWV
426-33) published in 1720. There were followed some thirteen years later by
another six which are dubbed ‘The Second Collection’ (1733). There are also
many other individual suites. The dating
of all these works is fraught with difficulties. Rowland suggests that some
were composed before Handel left Germany bound for Italy in 1707. The remainder
were ‘probably’ written in England after he settled there in 1712. The present
CD includes the last examples of the genre (Suite in D minor, HWV 447 and the
Suite in G minor, HWV 452) that Handel wrote around 1739 for Princess Louise,
the daughter of King George II.
The Suites themselves are
different to Bach’s examples. They are designed with less concern for
perpetuating the historic ‘dance’ movements. Although Handel made extensive use
of these, he also introduced chaconnes, variations and fugues into his suites.
The liner notes point out that the one work the Suite in F (HWV 427), not on
this CD; actually contain none of the traditional movements. Another feature of
these suites is the duration. They range from Suite in G minor, HWV 451 at just
under six minutes to the massive Suite in D minor, HWV 449 which is just shy of
24 minutes.
I do not intend to major on each
individual Suite. The present selection is made from both the major collections
as well as the miscellaneous group. The second disc concludes with the massive
Chaconne and 62 variations from Suite in G major, HWV 442. The CD is worth
buying for this alone.
These suites are played on a
two-manual French harpsichord ‘after Goermans’ of Paris (1750) built by Andrew Wooderson in 2005.
The sound of this instrument is simply stunning: it has been superbly recorded.
Gilbert Rowland made his debut at
Fenton House, Hampstead in 1970 and first appeared at the Wigmore Hall in 1973.
He has given many recitals and broadcasts over the years which have established
his reputation as one of the leading harpsichordists in the United Kingdom. His
recordings include music by Soler, Scarlatti and Rameau.
The liner notes, written by Rowland
are most helpful. After a short overview of the genre, he gives a succinct description
of each of the suites. These notes are also printed in French and German. There
is a colour copy of Philippe Mercier’s (1689-1760) well-known painting of the
composer.
I have not heard the first two
volumes of this cycle of Suites. However, based on this present two CD I can
only imagine that they will be equally successful.
Track Listing:
Disc A
Suite in A minor, HWV 426
Suite in D minor, HWV 447
Suite in G minor, HWV 452
Suite in B flat major, HWV 440
Suite in D minor, HWV 448
Disc B
Suite in D minor, HWV 449
Suite in G minor, HWV 453
Suite in C minor, HWV 445
Suite in G minor, HWV 451
Suite in G major, HWV 442
Gilbert Rowland (harpsichord)
Rec. Holy Trinity Church, Weston,
Hertfordshire, 21-24 July 2014
DIVINE ART dda21225
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.
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