Handel concertos

[katefarquharson]

Anyone played any Handel concertos? Or any Handel to be honest!
I've been listening to some and it seems like they'll be good training in clean scale passages and trills (things I'm not particularly confident with!)
I'm a second year piano major but I'd quite like something simple as I'd like to execute it very well. Something a bit above grade 8 (abrsm/trinity) perhaps.
Or just opinions on Handel!!!

[j_menz]

Handel is a wonderful composer, and (mostly) a joy to play. You'll find lots more than trills and scale passages, though, and he can be challenging at times.

I haven't played any of the concerti, but have played most of the solo works.  The suites would be a good introduction to his style, and should keep you busy for a while.

[diomedes]

I have an odd emotional attachment to the concertos he wrote, was probably the first baroque orchestral music i came to really like. But they're organ concertos, i've never imagined the possibility of them being played on piano, much less encountered it. But i have a recording where they are played on a harpsichord, obviously very nice to my ears.

These have been played on piano? I'd like to hear that (or not?)

His solo keyboard music is very fine, the first 8 suites are considered standard.

[katefarquharson]

I'll be looking at the suites actually.

Was looking for a general concerto so was just considering Handel as I find his music very delicate.

I'm now looking at Haydn D major 2nd mvmt. or a Mozart. I'm looking for something that will work on basic technique nicely - simple stuff like scale passages and trills but getting them light and clean. Mozart has too much 'music' if that makes sense... Part of the reason I'm keen on Handel., not that there's no music as such but I hope you see what I mean...!

Haven't listened to any Bach concerti but think I will too. I've already got some Bach on this year's repertoire list (I'm studying music at university) and I like to keep my composers varied.

[chopinlover01]

I'll be looking at the suites actually.

Was looking for a general concerto so was just considering Handel as I find his music very delicate.

I'm now looking at Haydn D major 2nd mvmt. or a Mozart. I'm looking for something that will work on basic technique nicely - simple stuff like scale passages and trills but getting them light and clean. Mozart has too much 'music' if that makes sense... Part of the reason I'm keen on Handel., not that there's no music as such but I hope you see what I mean...!

Haven't listened to any Bach concerti but think I will too. I've already got some Bach on this year's repertoire list (I'm studying music at university) and I like to keep my composers varied.

Perhaps the Mozart C major, No 21? Great one.
Perhaps ht

[8_octaves]

Anyone played any Handel concertos? Or any Handel to be honest!
[...]Or just opinions on Handel!!!

Hi Kate,

I like Händel, but I only played very few of his works, since I only have very few of them.
Which are: The Chaconne HWV 435 (with 21 variations), i like it very much, and it has strong (harmonic pattern) similarities with Bach's Goldberg- Variations (not only in my opinion, I guess), of which I have the old Kirkpatrick-Edition (Schirmer). There must be another such Chaconne of Händel, similar to the Goldbergs - and to the HWV 435 - as well, and offering even more variations, but I only have the one with the 21, which is in the "Favourite Piano Classics I" book (Könemann Music Budapest). And one or both of them should be on IMSLP, too.

In my book there are also the following two, which I also like: The Sarabande, which is very famous, I think, from the d-minor-Suite HWV 437/IV, and the Air (from the Suite in E major) "The Harmonious Blacksmith", HWV 430/IV, which was mentioned recently in another thread here on the forum, I think.

A fantasia in d-minor, which is in a smaller mixed-collection (edition: HUG), which I also like, and...

...the piano solo arrangements of the Fireworks-Musick and the Water-Musick, arranged by Granville Bantock, which my mother bought many years ago, because I wanted them.  

The Water-Musick-arrangement is in my opinion more difficult, not only because the Water Musick (in this version) has many more parts ("movements") than the fireworks-musick in this version, but I subjectively find it much more demanding.- But I like both of the arrangements very much! And they have interesting prefaces included, dealing with the origins and "formation" (parts which were included or known to have been included) of these works, and how they were performed, once upon a time, long, long years ago, when Händel was alive...

I think, omitting 1 or 2 minor works which might be in some collections' volumes I have, the above mentioned ones are the only ones I have, but which I at once think of when I hear the word "Händel".
 
Cordially, 8_octaves!