The Organ Concertos Op.4 and Op.7 by George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) were originally composed as musical interludes to be performed during the intervals of the Oratorios. Handel chose to write for the organ, an instrument hitherto relegated to the liturgical service, to emancipate it and have it take on a new character, more brilliant and appealing to the public. From the scores it is clear that these concertos do not have to be played on a large instrument, as they only sporadically require the use of the pedalboard, which therefore made the concertos also performable on the harpsichord. Transcription, the art of transcribing repertoire for a different instrument or ensemble combination, is absolutely an integral part of the boundless organ and keyboard literature dating from the distant Renaissance to the present day. One great example from the organ repertory is composer and organist Clément Loret’s (1833–1909) transcription of Handel’s Organ Concertos for solo organ. The two composers complement each other – Handel, a great virtuoso and dazzling composer of the Baroque period capable of gripping the most disparate audiences, and Loret, a late Romantic belonging to the great French school of Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens, where the organ is placed centre stage. Loret intervenes in Handel’s work whilst maintaining its spirit. He preserves the dense contrapuntal writing, merging organ and orchestral parts without reserve, and always retaining the brilliance and vivacity that characterise the original in virtuosic projection towards the modern symphonic organ. This all makes for a large sound and an array of significant technical and stylistic difficulties for the performer. The set of Op.4 and Op.7 taken together includes 12 concertos in total, each with its own character, shape, style and atmosphere. The tonalities used are those that were the most frequent and most in vogue during the Baroque period, except perhaps for the concerto in A major Op.7, which stands out not only for its tonality, but also for the particular elegance and fluctuation of its fugue theme.
Other information:
- Recorded May 2021 in Isola della Scala (Verona) & October 2021/June 2022 in Mestre (Venice)
- Bilingual booklet in English and Italian contains liner notes, a biography of the artist, and organ specifications
- Ivan Ronda plays at the Tamburini organ of Santa Rita Da Cascia, Mestre, Italy & the Porticella organ of Abazzia Santa Stefano, Isola Della Scala, Italy
- Georg Frideric Handel's Organ Concertos Op.4 and Op.7 were originally composed as musical interludes performed during the intervals of Oratorios. Handel chose to use the organ, an instrument hitherto only used in liturgical service, to emancipate it and give it a new character, more brilliant and appealing to the public. These concertos do not require a large instrument, sporadically requiring the use of the pedal board and thus making the concertos also playable on the harpsichord.
- Transcriptions, or rather the art of transcribing both vocal and instrumental repertoire, are an integral part of the boundless organ and keyboard literature that has its beginnings from as far back as the Renaissance to the present day.
- This recording presents the transcription for organ solo of Handel’s organ concertos by Clément Loret, a late Romantic organist and composer belonging to the great French school of Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens. Loret intervenes on Handel's work without any scruple, offering dense contrapuntal writing that incorporates both the organ and orchestral parts, always preserving the brilliance and vivacity that characterize the original, fully using the immense possibilities of the modern symphonic organ.
- Played by Italian master organist Ivan Ronda, internationally acclaimed by guest appearances in such venues as Westminster Abbey and King’s College Cambridge. He recorded the complete organ works by Mozart for Brilliant Classics.
