Organ Concerto Opus 4 No. 4 in F Major - George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759)

1. Allegro
2. Andante
3. Adagio
4. Allegro

Handel was renowned throughout Europe as one of the most accomplished organists of the Baroque age. His keyboard contest with Domenico Scarlatti is famous; both were superb harpsichordists, but everyone including Scarlatti acknowledged Handel's superiority on the organ. Handel's talent manifested itself early in his life. During a visit to the court of Saxe-Weissenfels, the eight-year-old Handel's mastery of the organ was so arresting that it captured the attention and admiration of the duke, who insisted the boy be given every opportunity to develop his gift. When he was 17 and a newly enrolled law student at the University of Halle, Handel was appointed organist of the Calvinist Cathedral, and so ended his law career.

The organ concerto is practically Handel's own invention. They were originally intended as supplements to his oratorios and he would have performed them himself. The concerti display his characteristic creativity and freedom of invention as a composer, but also give testimony to his virtuosity on the organ and reveal his profound love of the instrument. Handel's first organ concertos were written for oratorio performances in 1735 and 1736. The works they accompanied include Esther, Deborah and Alexander's Feast; Op. 4 No.4 was written for a performance of Athalia in the King's Theatre on 1 April 1735.

The work opens with an extended Allegro based on a discarded chorus from Alcina. In the following Andante Handel explores instrumental colours: he demands a specific registration for the organ - "Open Diapason, stopt Diapason and Flute" - and marks the strings "pianissimo per tutto". There is a magical moment when the soloist's triplet figure floats high above the gently repeated chords on the strings. The brief Adagio leads directly into the finale, which combines fugal and ritornello forms in an energetic and forceful manner. As first composed, the concerto led directly into an "Allelujah" chorus, and the whole group formed the finale to the oratorio. Before publication Handel removed the chorus to allow the piece to be played independently, and a short Adagio conclusion was added to give the finale a stronger ending. Tonight we shall perform it as Handel originally intended, with the chorus bursting in halfway through the finale with the Allelujah chorus.

[Note to other societies: you are welcome to use the whole or parts of this text in your own programmes, but if you do please (i) let us know, and (ii) include an acknowledgement to the Aylesbury Choral Society and this website in your programme.]


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