COMPOSERS: Handel
LABELS: Hyperion Helios
WORKS: Concerti grossi, Op. 3
PERFORMER: Brandenburg Consort/Roy Goodman
CATALOGUE NO: CDH 55075 Reissue (1992)
Unlike his Op. 6 concerti grossi, which were planned as a set, Handel’s six Op. 3 concertos were composed separately – and in a few cases ‘compiled’ by his publisher John Walsh from various bits and pieces dating back over 20 years. Despite Walsh’s DIY approach, the music has immediate appeal and charm. The ‘concerti grossi’ label is misleading, since these are modest works, in which a variety of wind instruments (flutes, oboes, recorders, bassoons) figure as prominently as the strings.
Roy Goodman’s 1992 performances, still sounding fresh and lively, are very attractive. He also includes both the original (spurious) and replacement (genuine) Concerto No. 4. A real bargain. Graham Lock