HANDEL THE EUROPEAN

The complete Concerti grossi Op. 6

The crowning of a genre

Handel’s Concerti grossi, Op. 6, are for Baroque music what the Crown Jewels are for the English monarchy. Handel took a whole month to write this cycle – more time than for The Messiah. In the autumn of 1739 he thus created the culmination of a truly great genre – twelve concerti grossi that could be all things: gentle pastorale or Baroque gem, gallant song or resounding symphony, orchestral suite in luminous D Major or in dark D Minor, a tribute to opera and an intermezzo for biblical oratorios. Johannes Pramsohler and his musicians very consciously understand these twelve concerti as the cycle that crowns Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos and Telemann’s Musique de table, and discover anew in each individual work the eloquent wealth of Handel’s string writing. A crown of twelve gemstones, brightly polished by an award-winning ensemble.

The "Twelve grand concertos"
Handel's life told in four nights

Handel and England (Opera)

with Yun-Jung Choi, soprano

Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 1 in G Major

Aria “V’adoro pupille” (Giulio Cesare in Egitto)

Aria “Ah! Spietato” (Amadigi)

Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 11 in A Major

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Aria “Se pietà di me non senti” (Giulio Cesare in Egitto)

Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 5 in D Major

“Lascia ch’io pianga” arr. William Babell for Cembalo solo

Aria “Scoglio d’immota fronte” (Scipione)

with Yun Jung Choi, soprano

Handel and England (Oratorio)

Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 10 in D Minor

Aria “Softest sounds” (Athalia)

Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 2 in F Major

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Aria „Myself I shall adore” (Semele)

Aria “Guardian Angels” (The triumph of time and truth)

Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 6 in G Minor

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion” (Messiah)

with Philippe Grisvard, harpsichord

Handel and Germany

Johann Mattheson

Prelude in B-flat Major (solo harpsichord)

Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 7 in B-flat Major

Johann Philipp Krieger

Toccata in A Minor (solo harpsichord)

Handel Sonatina in A Minor, HWV 584 (solo harpsichord)

Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 4 in A Minor

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Johann Georg Pisendel

Violin concerto in G Minor

Handel Präludium in D Minor, HWV 563 (solo harpsichord)

Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow

Capriccio in D Minor (solo harpsichord)

Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 9 in F Major

with Nahuel Di Pierro, bass

Handel & Italy

Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 3 in E Minor

Aria “Fra l'ombre e gl'orrori” (Aci, Galatea e Polifemo)

Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 12 in B Minor

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Cantate “Cuopre talvolta il cielo” HWV 98

Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 8 in C Minor