George Frideric Handel: Harp Concerto in B flat major (1736)

My rendering of this same piece was earlier released as the B flat Organ Concerto. Handel wrote this concerto first as a virtuoso piece for orchestral harp and ensemble (to be performed as an interlude in Alexander's Feast) and later re-introduced it for chamber organ and small orchestra. To skip to a specific movement, click on the time stamp below: 0:06 Andante allegro 5:44 Larghetto 9:35 Allegro moderato ========== The earliest printed edition of the organ version of the concerto (included in the video as a digital facsimile) was compiled by John Walsh in 1738. Below is a brief description of the visual aids inserted into the video clip in their order of appearance: 1. View of the Thames and the City of London (Handel's old stomping grounds with a glimpse of St. Paul's Cathedral in the distance), Antonio Canaletto, 1747 2. The facade of the King's Theatre (Handel's venue for many of his works from the 1730s). 3. Portrait of Lady Frances Seymour Conway, William Hoare, c1765 4. Triple harp (original contemporary with the harp concerto), David Evans, 1736. 5. Statue of Handel (once displayed in the Vauxhall Gardens where Handel regularly performed and conducted concerts), Louis-François Roubiliac, 1738 6. Covent Garden Theatre, Handel's main venue. His pipe organ sits in the middle of the stage, before the fire of 1808. 7. Musical Evening Michel-Ange Houasse, c1720. This painting includes several of the instruments in the harp concerto including flute, violin, cello and harpsichord. ========== This soundtrack was created using MusicStudio2. The original MIDI file was uploaded by José Hilario Miramontes to the IMSLP.org website. I added double bass, harpsichord and Baroque flute to the mix. The flourishes and cadenzas in the current version were all added by José Miramontes. I only slowed down the final trill in the cadential sequence of the Allegro moderato.