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George Frideric Handel (1685-1759): Concerto Grosso No. 6 in G Minor Op. 6 HWV 324
Largo affettuoso-A tempo giusto-Musette-Allegro-Allegro
00:00 Opening
00:18 I-Largo affettuoso
03:30 II-A tempo giusto
05:13 III-Musette
10:54 IV-Allegro
14:30 V-Allegro
17:00 Credits
David Wilson, violin • Cynthia Keiko Black, violin • William Skeen, violoncello • Corey Jamason, harpsichord
Tomà Iliev, violin • Jude Ziliak, violin • Ramón Negrón Pérez, viola • Steven Lehning, violone
Eddie Frank, video • Chris Landen, audio
American Bach Soloists • Jeffrey Thomas, Artistic Director
Filmed in May 2021 in the Great Hall at the Castello di Amorosa (Calistoga, California).
How we made the video: americanbach.org/Videos-Backs...
The Concerto Grosso was one of the primary and most often employed musical formats during the Baroque era, much the same as the symphony format identified the Classical era. While there was a great variety among the concertos in terms of the number of sections, the tempos of those various movements, and the inclusion (or not) of dances or even a suite of dances, almost all concerti grossi featured a small contingent of soloists usually comprised of two violins, and one violoncello-called the "concertino" group-accompanied by harpsichord. Those players were given the spotlight due to the usually more demanding parts that were written for them, and those calls upon their virtuosity were usually very evenly distributed. In the case of the standard group of soloists, the two violinists would often play together in duet. By contrast, a larger group of instrumentalists would be heard at the beginnings, ends, and either intermittently or almost continuously throughout each movement and would fill out the sound when they joined in. The Italian word for that larger contingent is ripieno, which in modern usage means "stuffing" or "filling" and is often used in descriptions of foods, such as the ripieno alla crema that one finds inside a delicious pastry. Only occasionally would the ripienists remain silent for an entire movement. The contrast of soloists vs. ripienists provided both contrasts of sonority and emphasis on the solo group. In terms of function, concerti grossi could be played before or after larger works, such as an opera or oratorio, or even as an entr'acte or intermezzo between the acts.
Handel is among the group of composers who most famously utilized the concerto grosso format. Some of the others were Corelli, Scarlatti, and Geminiani, and if you notice a predominance of Italian names, that is because the format is clearly of Italian origin. Handel became familiar with it during his first sojourn in Italy when he was 21-24 years old, and despite his non-Italian (German) nationality, or perhaps because of his German-style approach to harmony and melody, Handel brought a richness of color to his concerti grossi that embellished the more uniform sound of the Italian models. The work performed on this program is one of Handel's most imaginative examples of the genre. The contrasts between movements are quite pronounced, and the variety of sonorities is especially satisfying. A brooding opening movement followed by a fugue-like section (with an interestingly chromatic descending "subject") is followed by an exquisite central movement in the warm key of E-flat major. Given the title of "Musette"-which refers to a bagpipe-like instrument that had a much more elegant tone than its rustic predecessors and was quite fashionable in the French courts-the middle movement is characterized at the start by a sustained "pedal tone" in the bass over which the melody begins its lovely wanderings. But its middle section, animated and having a tone of contrast and briskness, and in conjunction with the outer and more serene sections, reminds some of the great aria from Messiah, "He was despised," which shares the same key of E-flat, the same structure, the same contrast of tempi, and the same breadth of scale. To close, Handel composed a pair of Allegro movements, the second of which is an elegant minuet.
© 2021, American Bach Soloists
American Bach Soloists (ABS) are leading performers in the field of Baroque music, dedicated to historically informed performances of Bach and his contemporaries. ABS provides meaningful, memorable, and valuable musical experiences for our audiences through inspiring performances and recordings, and it supports the preservation of early music through educational programs for students and emerging professionals. Under the leadership of co-founder and Music Director Jeffrey Thomas, the ensemble has achieved its vision of assembling the world’s finest vocalists and period-instrument performers to bring this brilliant music to life.
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