Simon Preston / Trevor Pinnock / The English Concert - Handel: Complete Organ Concertos (2002)

Simon Preston's recordings of the complete set of Handel's organ concertos with Trevor Pinnock and The English Concert was the first to use the latest musicological research by Anthony Hicks. These recordings remain unsurpassed from a scholarly point of view, and the performances themselves remained a benchmark for at least a decade. They may not be the best versions available now but still have a lot to offer. Preston's performances are alert and still sound very vibrant and strong, yet it must be confessed that the rather harsh sound of Preston's instrument in Opus 7 verges on becoming joyless at times.

Opus 4 is much better, with a particularly lovely rendition of the Harp Concerto (Op.4 no.6) featuring harpist Ursula Holliger. The English Concert play with consistent vividness, and crisp articulation abounds throughout all performances. Trevor Pinnock - a talented organist himself - is content to allow his orchestra to do the talking.

Those wanting the most refreshing and stimulating performances of the repertoire ought to own the double disc set by Paul Nicholson and The Brandenburg Consort (on Hyperion, and featuring a choral alternative for Op.4 no.4), and maybe also a similar set by Ton Koopman and The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra (on Erato, and featuring one of the few versions of Op.4 no.6 with the organ as solo instrument instead of the harp). Yet neither of these superb sets feature every Handel organ concerto, and Preston's interpretations remain useful and are a generally satisfying ingredient of a good Handelian library.

Although these recordings date from the earliest days of the compact disc, previous to this excellently produced reissue they were only available at full price. Now at mid-price, yet with all the superb original documentation and scholarly references to sources by Anthony Hicks retained, they are now particularly desirable acquisitions for the curious Handelian. It is unusual for a major record company to reissue 3-disc sets, and even rarer for them to reproduce old product with such attention to detail. There are some Handel gems in the Universal Classics back catalogue that have been unavailable for some time. Charles Mackerras's Saul, Neville Marriner's Jephtha, and Trevor Pinnock's Belzhazzar are all 3-disc recordings of prime importance that are currently missing from their catalogue. It is therefore to be fervently hoped that Universal Classics include them as future 'Trio' reissues.

Tracklist:
CD 1:
6 Concerti Per L'Organo Ed Altri Stromenti Opus 4
01. Concerto No. 1 In G Minor HWV 289 G-Moll: Larghetto E Staccato - Adagio
02. Concerto No. 1 In G Minor HWV 289 G-Moll: Allegro
03. Concerto No. 1 In G Minor HWV 289 G-Moll: Adagio
04. Concerto No. 1 In G Minor HWV 289 G-Moll: Andante
05. Concerto No. 2 In В Flat Major HWV 290 B-Dur: A Tempo Ordinario E Staccato - Adagio
06. Concerto No. 2 In В Flat Major HWV 290 B-Dur: Allegro
07. Concerto No. 2 In В Flat Major HWV 290 B-Dur: Adagio E Staccato
08. Concerto No. 2 In В Flat Major HWV 290 B-Dur: Allegro Ma Non Presto
09. Concerto No. 3 In G Minor HWV 291 G-Moll: Adagio
10. Concerto No. 3 In G Minor HWV 291 G-Moll: Allegro
11. Concerto No. 3 In G Minor HWV 291 G-Moll: Adagio
12. Concerto No. 3 In G Minor HWV 291 G-Moll: Gavotte (Allegro)
13. Concerto No. 4 In F Major HWV 292 F-Dur: Allegro
14. Concerto No. 4 In F Major HWV 292 F-Dur: Andante
15. Concerto No. 4 In F Major HWV 292 F-Dur: Adagio
16. Concerto No. 4 In F Major HWV 292 F-Dur: Allegro
17. Concerto No. 5 In F Major HWV 293 F-Dur: Larghetto
18. Concerto No. 5 In F Major HWV 293 F-Dur: Allegro
19. Concerto No. 5 In F Major HWV 293 F-Dur: Alla Siciliana
20. Concerto No. 5 In F Major HWV 293 F-Dur: Presto
21. Concerto No. 6 In В Flat Major For Harp HWV 294 B-Dur: Andante Allegro
22. Concerto No. 6 In В Flat Major For Harp HWV 294 B-Dur: Larghetto-Adagio
23. Concerto No. 6 In В Flat Major For Harp HWV 294 B-Dur: Allegro Moderato



CD 2:
6 Concerti Per L'organo Opus 7
01. Concerto No. 1 In В Flat Major HWV 306 B-Dur: Andante
02. Concerto No. 1 In В Flat Major HWV 306 B-Dur: Andante-Adagio
03. Concerto No. 1 In В Flat Major HWV 306 B-Dur: Largo E Piano
04. Concerto No. 1 In В Flat Major HWV 306 B-Dur: Allegro
05. Concerto No. 1 In В Flat Major HWV 306 B-Dur: Organo Ad Libitum: Adagio
From Sonata For Harpsichord In С Minor
06. Concerto No. 1 In В Flat Major HWV 306 B-Dur: Bourree: Allegro
07. Concerto No. 2 In A Major HWV 307 A-Dur: Ouverture
08. Concerto No. 2 In A Major HWV 307 A-Dur: A Tempo Ordinario
09. Concerto No. 2 In A Major HWV 307 A-Dur: Organo Ad Libitum: Adagio
From Sonata For Violin And Continuo In A Major, Op. 1 No. 3
10. Concerto No. 2 In A Major HWV 307 A-Dur: Allegro
11. Concerto No. 3 In В Flat Major HWV 308 B-Dur: Allegro
12. Concerto No. 3 In В Flat Major HWV 308 B-Dur: Organo Ad Libitum: Adagio-Fuge Adagio: From The Overture To "Giustino" Fuge: No. 3 (HWV 607) In В Flat Major
From The "6 Fugues For Harpsichord" (173s)
13. Concerto No. 3 In В Flat Major HWV 308 B-Dur: Spiritoso
14. Concerto No. 3 In В Flat Major HWV 308 B-Dur: Menuet
15. Concerto No. 4 In D Minor HWV 309 D-Moll: Adagio
16. Concerto No. 4 In D Minor HWV 309 D-Moll: Allegro Cosi Cosi
17. Concerto No. 4 In D Minor HWV 309 D-Moll: Organo Ad Libitum: Fuga. Larghetto
Transcription Of Part Of Chorus "Eternal Monarch Of The Sky"
From The Oratorio "Joseph And His Brethren"
18. Concerto No. 4 In D Minor HWV 309 D-Moll: Allegro



CD 3:
01. Concerto No. 5 In G Minor HWV 310 G-Moll: Staccato Ma Non Troppo Allegro
02. Concerto No. 5 In G Minor HWV 310 G-Moll: Andante Larghetto E Staccato
03. Concerto No. 5 In G Minor HWV 310 G-Moll: Menuet
04. Concerto No. 5 In G Minor HWV 310 G-Moll: Gavotte
05. Concerto No. 6 In В Flat Major HWV 311 B-Dur: Pomposo
06. Concerto No. 6 In В Flat Major HWV 311 B-Dur: Organo Ad Libitum: Air. Lentement
From An Unpublished Sinfonia In В Flat Major (An Earlier Version Of The Organ Concerto, Ed. Anthony Hicks)
07. Concerto No. 6 In В Flat Major HWV 311 B-Dur: Air: A Tempo Ordinario
08. Organ Concerto In F Major HWV 295 "The Cuckoo And The Nightingale" F-Dur: Larghetto
09. Organ Concerto In F Major HWV 295 "The Cuckoo And The Nightingale" F-Dur: Allegro
10. Organ Concerto In F Major HWV 295 "The Cuckoo And The Nightingale" F-Dur: Larghetto
11. Organ Concerto In F Major HWV 295 "The Cuckoo And The Nightingale" F-Dur: Allegro
12. Organ Concerto In A Major HWV 296 A-Dur: Largo E Staccato
13. Organ Concerto In A Major HWV 296 A-Dur: Organo Ad Libitum: Fuga. Allegro
From Sonata Violin And Continuo In A Major, Op. 1 No. 3
14. Organ Concerto In A Major HWV 296 A-Dur: Andante
15. Organ Concerto In A Major HWV 296 A-Dur: Grave
16. Organ Concerto In A Major HWV 296 A-Dur: Allegro
17. Organ Concerto In D Minor HWV 304 D-Moll: Andante
18. Organ Concerto In D Minor HWV 304 D-Moll: Organo Ad Libitum: Adagio-Fuga
Adagio From Suite No. 2 In F Major (F-Duryen Fa Majeur) From: "Suite De Pieces Pour Le Clavecin" I, London 1720
Fuga: Transcription Of Part Of Chorus "O God Who In Thy Heav'nly Hand" From The Oratorio "Joseph And His Brethren" (Arr.: William Crotch)
19. Organ Concerto In D Minor HWV 304 D-Moll: Allegro