The Power of Music

Despite the symbolic role it played in early opera, for a long time the harp remained quite an uncommon instrument in 18th-century orchestral composition. So it is quite remarkable that Handel should have written several works for it. B’Rock will be playing two of them in this programme: the renowned sinfonia from Saul and the harp concerto, as gracious as it is virtuoso, that was heard at the first performance of Alexander’s Feast or The Power of Music in 1736. The concerto grosso of the same name for oboes, strings and continuo was also performed between the movements of this latter oratorio. For a revival of Alexander’s Feast in 1739, Handel wrote an organ concerto that he was later to arrange as one of the concerti grossi for strings and continuo from his legendary Opus 6. Two melancholy concerti with a leading part for the oboe complete this sample of Handel’s orchestral mastery.