This Week in Classical Music: February 21, 2022.Handel and more.George Frideric Handel, one of the greatest composers of the Baroque era, was born on February 23rd of 1685.Interestingly, till about the second half of the 20th century, he was known mostly for his several orchestral works and oratorios, Messiah being the most famous.In reality, Handel was the greatest opera composer of the era and had written music in all genres of the time, including instrumental, chamber and vocal.His reputation is still lower outside of the English-speaking world, where it is on par with Bach’s.We’ve written about Handel many times, here, for example two years ago, with his opera Rodelinda being the focus, and here, about his early years in London.Handel was a fascinating figure, worldly and sophisticated; he was also a virtuoso performer on the keyboard and the violin and wrote for both instruments.Here, for example, is the keyboard Suite in D minor HWV436, it comes from the mid-1720s.It’s performed by the German pianist Ragna Schirmer.
Five pianists have anniversaries this week, four of them were Russian-born but none spent their life in Russia:Benno Moiseiwitsch, a British pianist, was born in Odessa, then in the Russian Empire into a Jewish family, on February 22nd of 1890; then three day later is the anniversary of another Brit, this time a “real” one but also Jewish, Dame Myra Hess.Nikita Magaloff, of Russian-Georgian descent who spent much of his life in Switzerland, was born in Saint-Petersburg on February 21st of 1912.Lazar Berman, another Russian (also Jewish), was born on the 26th the month in 1930 in Leningrad (now St.-Petersburg) and, finally, yet another Russian-born pianist, Arcadi Volodos (no, this one is not Jewish) was born on February 24th of 1972, also in Leningrad; these days Volodos lives in Spain.None of these pianists were very interested in the music of Handel, the only example we could find of one of them playing his music is an old, scratchy but interesting recording made in 1937 by the famous Hungarian violinist Joseph Szigeti who was accompanied by Nikita Magaloff.It is Handel’s Violin Sonata in D Major, HWV371, composed later in Handel’s life in 1750 (here).
We also celebrate another Soviet-born musician, a violinist.Gidon Kremer will turn 75 on the 27th, he was born on that day in 1947 in Riga, Latvia.Latvia, now independent, was then part of the Soviet Union; Kremer studied at the Moscow Conservatory with David Oistrakh, became a laureate of several major competitions, and then won the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1970.In 1980 Kremer emigrated from the Soviet Union and settled in Germany.In 1997 Kremer founded a chamber orchestra called Kremerata Baltica.Even though Kramer’s repertoire is very broad (he’s a big promoter of contemporary music), as far as we know he hasn’t recorded a single violin sonata of Handel.So instead we’ll hear Kremer playing a violin sonata by Handel’s contemporary, Johann Sebastian Bach.Here’s Bach Violin Sonata No.3 in C major BWV 1005, written in 1720.The recording was made in 1981.
Handel, 2022
This Week in Classical Music: February 21, 2022. Handel and more. George Frideric Handel, one of the greatest composers of the Baroque era, was born on February 23rd of 1685.
Interestingly, till about the second half of the 20th century, he was known mostly for his several orchestral works and oratorios, Messiah being the most famous. In reality, Handel was the greatest opera composer of the era and had written music in all genres of the time, including instrumental, chamber and vocal. His reputation is still lower outside of the English-speaking world, where it is on par with Bach’s. We’ve written about Handel many times, here, for example two years ago, with his opera Rodelinda being the focus, and here, about his early years in London. Handel was a fascinating figure, worldly and sophisticated; he was also a virtuoso performer on the keyboard and the violin and wrote for both instruments. Here, for example, is the keyboard Suite in D minor HWV436, it comes from the mid-1720s. It’s performed by the German pianist Ragna Schirmer.
Five pianists have anniversaries this week, four of them were Russian-born but none spent their life in Russia: Benno Moiseiwitsch, a British pianist, was born in Odessa, then in the Russian Empire into a Jewish family, on February 22nd of 1890; then three day later is the anniversary of another Brit, this time a “real” one but also Jewish, Dame Myra Hess. Nikita Magaloff, of Russian-Georgian descent who spent much of his life in Switzerland, was born in Saint-Petersburg on February 21st of 1912. Lazar Berman, another Russian (also Jewish), was born on the 26th the month in 1930 in Leningrad (now St.-Petersburg) and, finally, yet another Russian-born pianist, Arcadi Volodos (no, this one is not Jewish) was born on February 24th of 1972, also in Leningrad; these days Volodos lives in Spain. None of these pianists were very interested in the music of Handel, the only example we could find of one of them playing his music is an old, scratchy but interesting recording made in 1937 by the famous Hungarian violinist Joseph Szigeti who was accompanied by Nikita Magaloff. It is Handel’s Violin Sonata in D Major, HWV371, composed later in Handel’s life in 1750 (here).
We also celebrate another Soviet-born musician, a violinist. Gidon Kremer will turn 75 on the 27th, he was born on that day in 1947 in Riga, Latvia. Latvia, now independent, was then part of the Soviet Union; Kremer studied at the Moscow Conservatory with David Oistrakh, became a laureate of several major competitions, and then won the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1970. In 1980 Kremer emigrated from the Soviet Union and settled in Germany. In 1997 Kremer founded a chamber orchestra called Kremerata Baltica. Even though Kramer’s repertoire is very broad (he’s a big promoter of contemporary music), as far as we know he hasn’t recorded a single violin sonata of Handel. So instead we’ll hear Kremer playing a violin sonata by Handel’s contemporary, Johann Sebastian Bach. Here’s Bach Violin Sonata No.3 in C major BWV 1005, written in 1720. The recording was made in 1981.