# Handel - Concerti Grossi op.3 & 6. Period Instrument recordings.



## JSBach85 (Feb 18, 2017)

Handel's Concerti Grossi Op.3 & 6 were my introduction to baroque concertos and today among my favourite compositions. Those are the recordings I own at the moment + two ordered today:

Handel - Concerti Grossi Op.3. Julia Schröder / Kammerorchester Basel. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi.
Handel - 12 Concerti Grossi Op.6. Giovanni Antonini / Il Giardino Armonico. Decca.
Handel - Concerti Grossi, Op.6. Christopher Hogwood / Handel & Haydn Society.

----- Ordered -----

Handel - 6 Concerti Grossi, Op 3. Trevor Pinnock / The English Concert.
Handel - Concerti Grossi, Op. 6. Andrew Manze / Academy of Ancient Music. Harmonia Mundi.

I have room for two more recordings. I want to read suggestions, but only period instrument ensembles.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Check out Pommer in both op.3 and 6.


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## Hugo9000 (Aug 6, 2018)

My favorite recordings for both opus Nos are by Trevor Pinnock and The English Concert. I also love Opus 6 by Martin Gester and Arte dei Suonatori, in beautiful sound on the BIS label.









These are hybrid SACDs, with multichannel as well as stereo playback options.


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## Taplow (Aug 13, 2017)

I have also recently ordered a few more. I currently have:

Opus 3
Julia Schröder: Basel Chamber Orchestra, DHM: 88697575202
Richard Egarr: Academy Of Ancient Music, HM: HMU 807415

Opus 6
Il Gardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini, L'Oiseau Lyre:478 0319
Martin Gester: Arte Dei Suonatori, BIS: BIS-SACD-1705/06

Opus 3 & 6
Trevor Pinnock: The English Concert, Archiv: 423 149-2

And I've ordered the following recordings:

Opus 3: John Eliot Gardiner: English Baroque Soloists, Erato: 2292-45981-2
Opus 6: Andrew Manze, Academy of Ancient Music, Harmonia Mundi: 907228.29
Opus 6: William Christie: Les Arts Florissants, Harmonia Mundi: HMA 1961507

I enjoy all of the recordings I have currently ... they all have something to offer. If you like the aggressive, spiky, highly dynamic style of baroque playing, then have a listen to the Il Giardino Armonico (not mentioned by others so far). It was these guys who finally got me to appreciate Vivaldi, so I have a soft spot for them.

The Christie Opus 6 is, as usual, more low key. Here I really liked the smaller ensemble, the clarity of the soloists, and the fact that the winds are far more prominent in most of the concertos. This recording has more of the feel of the Water Music, but with some fine solo work from the concertino players. Christie has also opted for a theorbo continuo, which contributes to the more intimate feel of the recording.

The Manze is a very good period account, if a little muted. The violin solo work is excellent, as one would expect.

The Gardiner Opus 3 is outstanding all round. A truly perfect account, if such a thing is possible.

In addition to the above, I quite like Harnoncourt's account of the Opus 3 with the Concentus Musicus Wien on Teldec, even if the solo work is weaker than other recordings.


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

I agree with others that Martin Gester's Op. 6 set with Arte Dei Suonateri is excellent, and the BIS hybrid SACD sound quality is first rate too. I wouldn't want to be without the BIS set myself, as it compliments Il Giardino Armonico's quirkier interpretations well: which I like too, when I'm in the mood to be challenged. Another period ensemble recording that you might want to consider--apart from the standard Pinnock & Hogwood recommendations (from the 1980s & 90s)--is the Op. 6 set from the Avison Ensemble, led by Pavlo Beznosiuk, which won awards in Britain. I prefer the Polish ensemble myself, but others may disagree.

As for the the Op. 3 set, I agree that Gardiner's Erato set is first rate (some of Gardiner's finest recordings came during his pre-Archiv Erato years). But my two favorite Op. 3 sets are (1) Marc Minkowski's recording with Les Musiciens du Louvre, also on Erato (probably my first choice), and (2) Jeanne Lamon's set with Tafelmusik, on Sony (which offers remarkably precise intonation from the ensemble, but is a bit more subdued than Minkowski's version). You can't go wrong with Gardiner's fine account either (& I also think highly of Julia Schröder & the Kammerorchester Basel's Op. 3 recording too. She's a terrific, underrated musician).


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## JSBach85 (Feb 18, 2017)

Thank you for your recommendations. For Op.6 I just ordered Pavlo Beznosiuk / The Avison Ensemble to start with but I am also interested in Gester / Arte dei Suonatori, in the samples both sound excellent.

For Op.3, besides Julia Schröder / the Kammerorchester Basel and Pinnock / The English Concert, I may be interested in Minkowski, Gardiner or Manze.


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## JSBach85 (Feb 18, 2017)

Finally those as the recordings I own:

Handel - Concerti Grossi Op.3. Julia Schröder / Kammerorchester Basel. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi.
Handel - 6 Concerti Grossi, Op 3. Trevor Pinnock / The English Concert.

Handel - 12 Concerti Grossi Op.6. Giovanni Antonini / Il Giardino Armonico. Decca.
Handel - Concerti Grossi, Op.6. Christopher Hogwood / Handel & Haydn Society. Decca.
Handel - Concerti Grossi, Op. 6. Andrew Manze / Academy of Ancient Music. Harmonia Mundi.
Handel - Concerti Grossi, Op. 6. Martin Gester / Arte dei Suonatori. BIS.
Handel - Concerti Grossi, Op. 6. Pavlo Beznosiuk / Avison Ensemble. Linn Records

----- Ordered -----

Handel - Concerti Grossi Op 3; Sonata a 5. Richard Egarr / Academy of Ancient Music. Harmonia Mundi.


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## Ras (Oct 6, 2017)

I'm not a big fan of Handel's concertos - probably because I compare them with Bach's concertos. 

The only one I like in Op.6. is: Giovanni Antonini / Il Giardino Armonico. Decca.

The only one I like in Op. 3 is: Minkowski on Erato/Warner.

I'll be spinning Arte de Sonautori from Bis on Spotify.


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## Abdel ove Allhan (Jun 19, 2014)

You needn't look any further than the Manze AAM recording you possess. Handel's op. 3 and 6 are the Crown Jewels of the Baroque. They wholly outstrip Bachs Brandenburgs in sophistication, drama, variety, invention, grace, elan, beauty and humanity. I nearly forgot humor...in the 2nd movement of op.6 number 7 his "1" note fugue says, "I can write a wildly good fugue with more dash and harmonic interest with "1" note than you pikers can with 12."


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

As for op. 3 I have two preferences that dominate my choices: Oboe, not flute in #3 and the reconstruction of #6 (with two original Handel movements used in some operas), not the d minor organ concerto movement and some improvisation or nothing at all. This "rules out" Gardiner, Egarr, good as they otherwise are (Egarr has the bonus of the sonata à 5 as filler, though) and also Minkowski who IIRC uses an odd mix of flute and recorder? in the 3rd concerto. I have not heard Goodman/Hyperion who apparently also uses the 3 movement reconstruction but I can recommend Tafelmusik/Sony and Hogwood. Despite not following my preferences my favorite modern instruments op. 3 is Leppard (who takes some other liberties swapping movements in the first two concerti but this works very well IMO).
Edit: Just saw that Tafelmusik was already recommended and linked above. I also like Minkowski who is more dramatic than many others but also a bit rough, does odd things in #3 and has the organ movement in #6. At least the 6th as printed and probably also the 3rd concerto are creations of the publisher, while the movements are all original Handel, their combination very probably is not.


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