Luogo e data di registrazione		(luogo di registrazione non indicato) - 1963
	Registrazione: live / studio		studio
	Producer		-
	Prima Edizione LP		Telefunken "Das Alte Werk" | SAWT 9441-B (Stereo) - AWT 9441-C (Mono) | 1 LP - durata 48' 10" | (p) 1963 | ANA Telefunken "Das Alte Werk" | SAWT 9441-B | 1 LP durata 48' 10" | (p) 1963 | ANA | Riedizione Telefunken "Aspkte" | 6.41327 AH | 1 LP durata 48' 10" | (p) 1975 | ANA | Riedizione
	Edizione CD		Non si è a conoscenza di una ripubblicazione in Compact Disc
	Cover		-
	Note		-

Handel's organ playing in the highly popular performances of his many organ concertos inspired eulogies in verse from several of his contemporaries. Another of them, the musical historian Sir John Hawkins, relates that “Silence, the truest applause, succeeded, the instant that he addressed himself to the instrument; and that was so profound, hat it checked respiration, and seemed to control the functions of nature.“ On hearing these organ concertos, we can well imagine that it was not merely a virtuoso technique of organ playing but above all the positive power of expression and depth of feeling of these works that will have been so fascinating in their effect. The style of Handel's organ concertos bears no relation to what was otherwise the most general use of the organ, namely the solemn music of the church. Handel included these works as intermezzi in the performances of his oratorios, thus delighting the audience with a pulsating abundance of contrasting ideas that form themselves in the individual movements into delightful song and dance melodies, into capriccios or into the delicate strains of higher spheres. The thematic material of the organ concertos is simple, and through frequent repetition it becomes forceful and familiar. The organ takes its place alongside the orchestra as a partner rather than as a rival. It is discreetly accompanied by the orchestra, or the latter repeats the organ's melodic thoughts in the form of an echo, or plays loudly and affirmatively in the form of a ritornello as was usual in the concerto grosso. The organ always steps into the forefront with two characteristic types of writing, the one moving in solemn chordal strides and the other in filigree agility with a silvery tone in the high register. In the slow movements Handel oiten gives the organist an opportunity of showing his art of improvisation, an art that he himself applied with inexhaustible imagination on such occasions, so that his audiences waited eagerly for this moment in every performance. The Organ Concerto in A major (dating from 1739/40) begins with a Largo overture that uses the dotted rhythm of the French overture. The orchestra begins the movement with a theme in this sharply accenuated rhythm; the organ replies with a calm melody and each tone-producing element ends its phrase with a common theme in accelerated repetition of notes. This magical compression of he music imparts a mysterious quality to the overture, which puts the listener into a mood of anticipation, this being enhanced by a short cadenza for solo violin which leads from A major up to the dominant key of E major and ends in this state of tension. The Andante consists of a melodic period of eight bars played by the orchestra with episodes from the organ in triplets and runs. The Grave is one of the improvisations mentioned above, for the organ alone over a set bass. In the Allegro the altogether optimistic and light-hearted mood of the entire organ concerto brings the work to a carefree end with playful alternations of organ and orchestra. The Concerto in D minor begins without an overture, taking us straight into an Andante of meditative, earnest character. Brighter passages from the solo organ are soon suppressed again by the orchestra in the tension of syncopations. Again in this concerto the slow movement is left to the improvisation of the organist. The Allegro in 9/8 time has a driving, hasting, dynamic character. In spite of its virtuoso agility, the organ part is full of restrained seriousness and strict in its part-writing. The orchestra interrupts the organ solo in the style of a ritornello with consistent energy and colourfulness of tone. The austerity and conciseness of this organ concerto would suggest that it is a late work; it was not discovered and published until 1797. The same is true of the Organ Concerto in F major, which likewise did not appear in print until 1797. This work sounds like a piece of festive music. The organ is given less prominence, and instead horns and oboes are added to the orchestra. Organ and orchestra begin the Largo overture together, moving along in grave strides. In the second movement, the fresh, cheerful rhythm and the sound of the horns recalls a piece of hunting music - a la caccia - the organ remaining in the background until shortly before the end of the movement, when it leads the music as a soloinstrument up into the dominant key of C major. After this, in the third movement, it joins with the horns and the oboes in a colourful orchestral texture. This colourfulness of tone is intensified even more in the Adagio, where the orchestra, supported by the harpsichord and without wind and organ, touches the feelings with great power of expression. In the Andante organ, horns, oboes and orchestra are again united in a play of alternations. The Allegro in 12/8 time again has the vivacity of a ‘caccia’; organ and orchestra play in gay spirits and the ensuing March, suggesting a festive procession, raises our spirits still further to the realm of vigorous yet deeply religious optimism. Handel has taken this march from his oratorio “Judas Maccabaeus.“ Otto v. Irmer