HANDEL: PIANO CONCERTOS OP 4

George Frideric Handel's op. 4 was published in London as the Six Concertos for the Organ and Harpsichord: also for Violins, Hautboys and other instruments. Although the harpsichord is named in the title, these concertos are regarded as proven organ concertos - certainly because Handel himself performed all of them on the organ as instrumental intermezzi in his oratorios. Since the organ used was a keyboard instrument with one manual but without a pedal unit, the idea to transfer the solo part to today's piano should have been obvious all along. And, behold, so it is: Johann Sebastian Bach's harpsichord concertos quite naturally form part of every world-class pianist's repertoire, and the same rule must apply to Handel.