Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin & Bernhard Forck - Handel: Concerti grossi, Op. 6 Nos. 1-6 (2019) [24/96]

The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin kickstarts their Handel trilogy with this recording of the first six concerti grossi op. 6. Originally designed as attractive interludes to English oratorio performances, Handel’s concerti grossi soon gained fame as the most appealing orchestral music of the baroque era. Written in London in 1739, towards the end of his career, Handel paid tribute to the immensely popular concerti grossi of Corelli while simultaneously proving his mastery incorporating all musical styles of his times. Led by their concertmaster Bernhard Forck, the players of the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin demonstrate why many consider them the best baroque ensemble of today. This first instalment will be followed by the last six concerti grossi op. 6, as well as a recording of the concerti grossi op. 3. The ensemble’s first PENTATONE album, Cantata (2018) with countertenor Bejun Mehta, won a Diapason d’or.

Handel wrote the first six Concerti Grossi published as op. 6 in just over two weeks, from September 29 to October 15, 1739 (the final six were completed before Hallowe'en). You can hear the rush of inspiration in these works in a way that few pieces of music can match. I think of Mozart's piano concertos from the spring of 1785, and Schubert's composition of Winterreise in February and October of 1827. Handel's orchestral music sounds robust when it's played like this, but I've heard more than a few versions of both op. 3 and op. 6 that were crippled by poor musical choices or stylistic axe-grinding, on both sides of the Historically Informed Practices divide. Bernhard Forck and his very fine Berlin musicians, supported by Pentatone's fine engineers, let Handel's inspiration flow unimpeded.

Tracklist:
1 Concerto grosso in G Major, Op. 6 No. 1, HWV 319: I. A tempo giusto 01:44
2 Concerto grosso in G Major, Op. 6 No. 1, HWV 319: II. Allegro 01:42
3 Concerto grosso in G Major, Op. 6 No. 1, HWV 319: III. Adagio 02:27
4 Concerto grosso in G Major, Op. 6 No. 1, HWV 319: IV. Allegro 02:28
5 Concerto grosso in G Major, Op. 6 No. 1, HWV 319: V. Allegro 02:56
6 Concerto grosso in F Major, Op. 6 No. 2, HWV 320: I. Andante larghetto 03:43
7 Concerto grosso in F Major, Op. 6 No. 2, HWV 320: II. Allegro 02:34
8 Concerto grosso in F Major, Op. 6 No. 2, HWV 320: III. Largo 02:17
9 Concerto grosso in F Major, Op. 6 No. 2, HWV 320: IV. Allegro, ma non troppo 02:19
10 Concerto grosso in E Minor, Op. 6 No. 3, HWV 321: I. Larghetto 01:22
11 Concerto grosso in E Minor, Op. 6 No. 3, HWV 321: II. Andante 01:32
12 Concerto grosso in E Minor, Op. 6 No. 3, HWV 321: III. Allegro 02:27
13 Concerto grosso in E Minor, Op. 6 No. 3, HWV 321: IV. Polonaise. Andante 03:45
14 Concerto grosso in E Minor, Op. 6 No. 3, HWV 321: V. Allegro, ma non troppo 01:33
15 Concerto grosso in A Minor, Op. 6 No. 4, HWV 322: I. Larghetto affetuoso 02:37
16 Concerto grosso in A Minor, Op. 6 No. 4, HWV 322: II. Allegro 02:49
17 Concerto grosso in A Minor, Op. 6 No. 4, HWV 322: III. Largo e piano 02:11
18 Concerto grosso in A Minor, Op. 6 No. 4, HWV 322: IV. Allegro 02:40
19 Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 5, HWV 323: I. Larghetto e staccato 01:48
20 Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 5, HWV 323: II. Allegro 02:08
21 Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 5, HWV 323: III. Presto 03:44
22 Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 5, HWV 323: IV. Largo 02:08
23 Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 5, HWV 323: V. Allegro 02:30
24 Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 5, HWV 323: VI. Menuet. Un poco larghetto 02:44
25 Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 6 No. 6, HWV 324: I. Largo affettuoso 03:03
26 Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 6 No. 6, HWV 324: II. A tempo giusto 01:40
27 Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 6 No. 6, HWV 324: III. Musette. Larghetto 04:37
28 Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 6 No. 6, HWV 324: IV. Allegro 02:54
29 Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 6 No. 6, HWV 324: V. Allegro 02:17

Personnel:
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
Bernhard Forck, conductor