Handel: Die Acht Grossen Suiten
I have several CD versions of George Frederik Handel's Eight Great Keyboard Suites (1720). Originally composed for harpsichord, recorded versions on either piano or harpsichord are available. I have recordings of both, but usually prefer the piano versions. UK's ResearchOnLine offers this background on the compositions: "The ‘Great Suites’ are an inspired, idiosyncratic amalgam of Gallic courtly dances, Italian vocal lyricism, Teutonic counterpoint and robust English tunefulness. Whereas Bach’s keyboard suites follow broadly similar patterns, centered on the traditional French dance sequence of Allemande, Courante, Sarabande and Gigue, Handel’s are unpredictable, with no two suites alike in the number and ordering of their movements. There are fugues, arias with variations, Italian-style sonata movements, even (in No 7) a Passacaglia. Compared with the elaborate finish of Bach’s suites, Handel’s often give the impression of written-down improvisations. In the f...
