Description
The rise of instrumental music in the 17th century was spearheaded by Archangelo Corelli, whom Handel met during his sojourn in Italy from 1707-11. The two composers spent much time together and shared their ideas about music, as well instrumental techniques on violin and keyboard playing. In his subsequent travels to France, Handel was also influenced by the opera and ballet music by Jean-Baptiste Lully. Handel's 12 concerti grossi, Op.6, were composed within a five-week period from 29 September to 30 October 1739. Written in the same year as his two great oratorios Saul and Israel in Egypt, the set came out in multiple editions during Handel's lifetime. Although based on Corelli's multi-movement da chiesa and da camera concertos instead of Vivaldi's three-movement models, Handel's concerti grossi are extremely diverse, drawing from every possible musical genre and influenced by musical forms from all over Europe. Handel incorporated the full range of his compositional styles, including trio sonatas, operatic arias, French overtures, Italian sinfonias, airs, fugues, themes and variations and a variety of dances. Handel's Op.6 represents the pinnacle of the composer's instrumental works and are regarded as the finest example of the Baroque concerto grosso. The recordings of Handel's Op.6 concerti grossi, Op.6, are generally considered the summit of Adolf Busch's achievements during the dozen-or-so years when he led his own little orchestra, the Busch Chamber Players. The ensemble made numerous concerts tours throughout the United States as the 'Busch Little Symphony', culminating a series of concerts of the complete Op.6 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, before recording them at the Liederkranz Hall in New York in January and February 1946.
