Luogo e data di registrazione		Franziskaner Kirche, Vienna (Austria) - 1951
	Registrazione: live / studio		studio
	Producer		-
	Recording		-
	Prima Edizione LP		Oceanic | OCS 25 | 1 LP - durata 44' 40" | (p) 1951 | ANA
	Edizione CD		-
	Original Cover		-
	Note		-

On the whole, Handel fared rather during badly the late 18th Century and early 19th Century period, between the Bach Partisans on the one and the new orientation of music represented by Haydn and Mozart on the other. Weber, who really knew his Handel, for he possessed scores of his operas as well as his oratorios, was perhaps one of the first to see Bach and Handel impartially and, to some extent, clearly. In an article of 1821 Weber made a distinction between them that is still worth thinking about. "Bach," he said, "was essentially romantic German to his foundations; while Handel was notable for his more Antique Grandeur." Cursory as it is, this characterization brings out the basic difference btween the minds of the two men. Bach's mind was not in the smallest degree Mediterranean-Handel was almost wholly so. It was only by accident that he was born in Germany... "Mastery of Form" Schumann once declared "leads talent to ever increasing freedon." Handel was beyond question a master of form, and increasing freedom is shown throughout his woeks. This is particularly evident by his development of the concerto form in which he attained to the highest degree of mastery... The Handelian Concerto usually begins with a slow moderate or maestoso movement. Then comes an allegro in which the solo instruments are expected to exhibit their skill in ornamentation of the given themes. This is followed by a slow movement, the largo, and there is usually a final allegro or vivace in triple time. All four of the concerti herein presented follow this form with only minor variations... The Concerto No. 3 for Oboe and Strings and the Concerto No. 4 for Oboe, Strings and Cembalo are relatively recent discoveries-having been unearthed in The University of Upsala Library during the summer of 1932. Both received their initial performances on the twentieth of May 1935 during the Handel Jubilee with Richard Lauschmann, oboeist, and the Chamber Orchestra of the High School of Music. Recorded here for the first time on LP, they constitute an important addition to the Handel gramophonic repertory. The soloist, Hans Kamesch is noted for his authoritative interpretations of Handel's oboe works. He has been solo oboeist for the Vienna Philharmonic five years earlier at the age of 20; and since 1938 Professor of Music at the State Academy of Music. ···················· The Organ Concerti are partly original and partly arrangements of other works. In the Concerto No. 13 in F Major for Organ and Orchestra, for example, the first movement is based upon the first movement of the Opus 5, No. 6 Trio-Sonata for Two Violins or German Floutes with a Thorough Bass for Harpsichord or Violoncello. The second movement is based upon the second movement (Allegro) from the Concerto Groso, in F Major, Opus 6, No. 9. The third movement is derived from the third movement (Larghetto) of the same Concerto Grosso, and the final movement is taken from the secon allegro movement in the Opus 5, No. 6 Trio-Sonata mentioned above. The sub-title "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale" derives its name from the imitative effects in the second movement. The concerto No. 14, which was discovered recently, is a delightful work that is definitely original and cannot be traced to any works of Handel. The solo organist, Dr. Gustave Maria Leonhardt is singlarly well qualified for the interpretation of Handel's works for the Organ. He was born in Holland in 1928, educated there and also at the Schola Cantorum in Basle, Switzerland - a school noted for its specialization in medieval, renaissance and baroque music. He received a soloist diploma from the institute in organ and harpsichord as well as a doctorate in musicology for his thesis on the first through study of Bach's rhythmical notation. He has appeared throughout Europe as instrumentalist, particularly in performances of Bach's Art of The Fugue on the harpsichord. The performance of these organ concerti resembkes as closely as possible the stylistic customs of Handel's era. The listener may notice the extensive use of ornamentation and improvisation in the organ solos throughout these works-particularly where the composer indicated in the score "organ ad libitum"... A Word About The Organ The organ, which is located in the Franciscan Church in Vienna, was built in 1642 by Johannes Woekherl. It has two manuals and pedal. During the 19th Century it fell into disuse, and accordingly survived this period without reconstructional changes. Today it is one of the few completely preserved 17th Century organs in Europe. In 1950 the instrument was restored at which time the short octave was built out. The pitch of the organ is the so-called "choir-tone" which is a half tone above the present normal pitch, and was one whole tone above the present normal "chamber-tone". The range of the manuals extends from C to C. Louis W. Pecors