Accademia Bizantina, Stefano Montanari, Marco Frezzato, Ottavio Dantone

Accademia Bizantina | Stefano Montanari, violin | Marco Frezzato, cello |  Ottavio Dantone, organ and direction

PROGRAMME

G. F. Händel:  Concert n. 1 in G minor for organ and orchestra, op. 4 / Concerto grosso n. 1 in G major, op. 6/ Concert n. 3 in G minor for organ and orchestra, op. 4/ Concerto grosso n. 4 in A minor, op. 6 / Concert n. 4 in F major for organ and orchestra, op. 4/ Concerto grosso n. 7 in B flat major, op. 6

Handel composed his sixteen organ concerti to be performed during the intervals of his oratorios and operas. In spite of this initially rather secondary function, they came to enjoy great popularity during the composer's lifetime. The concerti feature inspired melodic writing and make use of material “borrowed” from other instrumental pieces by Handel himself or by contemporary composers such as Telemann or Muffat. They are considered today to be clear evidence of the status of their composer, together with Bach and Vivaldi, as a genius of the late baroque period. The concerti were published in 1738, and comprise the only collection of works to be supervised by the composer himself.