Handel Concerto Grosso 2 HWV313 Sheet Music, Program Notes and recordings

A Patchwork of Genius

In 1734, the London music publisher John Walsh, a savvy and occasionally unscrupulous businessman, saw a golden opportunity. The concerti grossi of the Italian composer Arcangelo Corelli were immensely popular in England, and Walsh knew that a set of similar works by London’s most famous composer, George Frideric Handel, would be a guaranteed bestseller. Without waiting for Handel to compose a new set, Walsh assembled a collection of six instrumental works from Handel’s existing catalogue—movements from opera overtures, cantatas, and other pieces—and published them as the Concerti Grossi, Op. 3. This practice of creating a pastiche (a work made up of pieces from other sources) was common at the time. The Concerto in B-flat Major, Op. 3, No. 2, is a brilliant example of this process. Its movements are drawn primarily from Handel's 1709 opera Agrippina and his 1716 Passion oratorio. The result, however, is not a disjointed mess, but a wonderfully varied and dramatically satisfying work, a testament to Handel's ability to make his greatest musical ideas shine in any context.

Movement I: Vivace A Bright Opening

The concerto opens with a bright and cheerful Vivace that immediately establishes a lively, theatrical atmosphere. The movement is a brilliant dialogue between the two solo oboes and the full string orchestra. Handel creates a delightful sense of echo and imitation, with the oboes playfully tossing musical phrases back and forth with the violins. The music is energetic, concise, and full of the transparent textures and rhythmic vitality that are hallmarks of Handel’s instrumental writing. It is a perfect, attention-grabbing curtain-raiser.

Movement II: Largo A Moment of Tragic Beauty

The second movement is the undisputed emotional core of the concerto and one of the most beautiful slow movements Handel ever composed. The mood shifts dramatically from the bright B-flat major of the opening to a profound and tragic G minor. The movement is a solemn Sarabande, a slow and stately dance in triple time. Over a steady, walking bass line, two solo violins weave a heartbreakingly beautiful and intricate duet. Their intertwining melodies are full of expressive dissonances and poignant sighs. A solo oboe then enters, adding its own plaintive voice to the texture. The music is deeply moving, with a spiritual depth that rivals the great slow movements of Handel's contemporary, J.S. Bach. This sublime music was originally part of Handel’s Brockes Passion.

Movement III: Allegro A Dance-like Interlude

Following the profound sorrow of the Largo, Handel provides a brief and simple Allegro to release the tension. This short movement functions as a dance-like interlude. It is a straightforward and cheerful piece, giving the solo cello a brief moment to shine with some energetic passage work. Its primary role is to act as a bridge, cleansing the palate after the preceding tragedy and preparing the listener for the more formal dances that are to follow.

Movement IV & V: Menuetto and Gavotte An Elegant and Brilliant Finale

The concerto concludes with a pair of contrasting dances. The first is a stately and elegant Menuetto, a graceful courtly dance that restores a sense of order and poise. This leads directly into the final movement, a brilliant Gavotte. Though labeled as a simple dance, this finale is in fact a masterful and energetic fugue, showcasing Handel’s supreme command of counterpoint. A lively and memorable fugue subject is introduced and then skillfully passed throughout the entire orchestra, with the oboes and strings engaging in a final, exhilarating chase. The music builds in complexity and excitement, bringing the concerto to a grand and thoroughly satisfying conclusion. This brilliant fugue was originally the closing section of the Overture to his early opera, Agrippina.

The Art of Borrowing Handel's Practical Genius

To a modern listener, the idea of a composer reusing his own music so extensively might seem strange. For a practical, working composer in the Baroque era like Handel, however, it was common sense. Handel was the head of a busy opera company, responsible for producing a constant stream of new music for an eager public. He worked at incredible speed, and he knew a good idea when he heard one. Recycling a brilliant overture or a beautiful aria in a new context was an efficient way to work and an opportunity to let his best music be heard by a wider audience. The Concerto Grosso, Op. 3, No. 2, is a perfect example of this practice at its most successful, a demonstration of how Handel could take pieces from different dramatic worlds and forge them into a new, purely instrumental masterpiece.