Search - George Frederick Handel, Sonnerie :: Handel: Trio Sonatas, Op. 2

Intimate Handel played with delicacy

Mike Birman | Brooklyn, New York USA | 02/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Corelli's influence was never stronger than at the end if the 17th and the beginning of the 18th Centuries. His op. 1, 2 & 4 trio sonatas da chiesa, with their grand slow opening movements, distinctly figured fast movements and their famous walking basses in the andantes, were even more famous for how, embodying the Italian violin school, they emulated the effect of the Italian vocal style with their virtuosity and sonorous beauty. Handel made the style his own, especially in the Largos and Ariosos, appealing to his audience with their beautiful cantabile melodies played by the violin in the role of opera diva.



The set of six sonatas Op.2 appeared between 1726 and 1733 but were composed much earlier, with the 2nd sonata in G major written by Handel at 14 and the rest during 1717-18, when Handel was in the service of the Earl of Carnarvon, later Duke of Chandos. Their instrumentation is flexible, capable of featuring two violins, two oboes, two flutes or recorders. Sonnerie plays them featuring violins, with Monica Huggett and Emilia Benjamin playing 18th Century instruments. Wilbert Hazelzet plays flute for sonata no.1. Their playing is delicate, with finesse and clarity of tone emphasizing the Italian roots of these brilliant and melodic trio sonatas. These are lovely performances, well-recorded in vivid, though slightly reticent, sound. Handel's chamber compositions contain some of his most stirring and tuneful music. If Handel is your cup of Earl Grey, this disc is strongly recommended.



Mike Birman"