Handel Organ Concertos, Op. 4 & Op. 7, Transcribed for Organ Solo by Clément Loret Ivan Ronda

• Georg Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759): Organ Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 4:
• 1 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 4: I Larghetto 05:21
• 2 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 4: II. Allegro 06:13
• 3 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 4: III. Adagio 01:22
• 4 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 4: IV. Andante 03:38
• Organ Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 4:
• 5 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 4: I. Maestoso 01:17
• 6 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 4: II. Allegro 05:24
• 7 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 4: III. Adagio 00:59
• 8 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 4: IV. Allegro ma non Presto 02:59
• Organ Concerto No. 3 in F Major, Op. 4:
• 9 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 3 in F Major, Op. 4: I. Moderato 04:38
• 10 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 3 in F Major, Op. 4: II. Andante 05:59
• 11 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 3 in F Major, Op. 4: III. Adagio 01:27
• 12 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 3 in F Major, Op. 4: IV. Allegro 04:15
• Organ Concerto No. 4 in G Minor, Op. 4:
• 13 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 4 in G Minor, Op. 4: I. Adagio 03:45
• 14 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 4 in G Minor, Op. 4: II. Allegro 04:04
• 15 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 4 in G Minor, Op. 4: III. Adagio 00:48
• 16 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 4 in G Minor, Op. 4: IV. Allegro 03:34
• Organ Concerto No. 5 in F Major, Op. 4:
• 17 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 5 in F Major, Op. 4: I. Larghetto 02:28
• 18 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 5 in F Major, Op. 4: II. Allegro 03:24
• 19 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 5 in F Major, Op. 4: III. Alla Siciliana 01:58
• 20 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 5 in F Major, Op. 4: IV. Presto 02:15
• Organ Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 4:
• 21 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 4: I. Allegro Moderato 06:56
• 22 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 4: II. Larghetto 04:02
• 23 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 4: III. Allegro Moderato 02:49
• Organ Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 7:
• 24 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 7: I. Andante 12:51
• 25 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 7: II. Larghetto 03:25
• 26 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 7: II. Bourrée 03:45
• Organ Concerto No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 7:
• 27 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 7: I. Adagio 05:57
• 28 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 7: II. Allegro 06:57
• 29 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 7: III. Allegro 04:17
• Organ Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 7:
• 30 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 7: I. Pomposo 04:43
• 31 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 7: II. Moderato tempo Ordinario 03:25
• Organ Concerto No. 2 in A Major, Op. 7:
• 32 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 2 in A Major, Op. 7: I. Andante 03:21
• 33 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 2 in A Major, Op. 7: II. Allegro 06:00
• 34 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 2 in A Major, Op. 7: III. Allegro 05:17
• Organ Concerto No. 3 in B-Flat Major, Op. 7:
• 35 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 3 in B-Flat Major, Op. 7: I. Allegro 06:03
• 36 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 3 in B-Flat Major, Op. 7: II. Spiritoso 05:57
• 37 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 3 in B-Flat Major, Op. 7: III. Menuet 03:24
• Organ Concerto No. 5 in G Minor, Op. 7:
• 38 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 5 in G Minor, Op. 7: I. Allegro 04:29
• 39 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 5 in G Minor, Op. 7: II. Andante Larghetto 04:38
• 40 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 5 in G Minor, Op. 7: III. Menuet 02:51
• 41 Handel: Organ Concerto No. 5 in G Minor, Op. 7: IV. Gavotte 02:16
• Total Runtime 02:49:11

Info for Handel Organ Concertos, Op. 4 & Op. 7, Transcribed for Organ Solo by Clément Loret

The Organ Concertos Op.4 and Op.7 by George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) were originally composed as musical interludes to be performed during the intervals of the Oratorios. Handel chose to write for the organ, an instrument hitherto relegated to the liturgical service, to emancipate it and have it take on a new character, more brilliant and appealing to the public. From the scores it is clear that these concertos do not have to be played on a large instrument, as they only sporadically require the use of the pedalboard, which therefore made the concertos also performable on the harpsichord. Transcription, the art of transcribing repertoire for a different instrument or ensemble combination, is absolutely an integral part of the boundless organ and keyboard literature dating from the distant Renaissance to the present day. One great example from the organ repertory is composer and organist Clément Loret’s (1833–1909) transcription of Handel’s Organ Concertos for solo organ. The two composers complement each other – Handel, a great virtuoso and dazzling composer of the Baroque period capable of gripping the most disparate audiences, and Loret, a late Romantic belonging to the great French school of Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens, where the organ is placed centre stage. Loret intervenes in Handel’s work whilst maintaining its spirit. He preserves the dense contrapuntal writing, merging organ and orchestral parts without reserve, and always retaining the brilliance and vivacity that characterise the original in virtuosic projection towards the modern symphonic organ. This all makes for a large sound and an array of significant technical and stylistic difficulties for the performer. The set of Op.4 and Op.7 taken together includes 12 concertos in total, each with its own character, shape, style and atmosphere. The tonalities used are those that were the most frequent and most in vogue during the Baroque period, except perhaps for the concerto in A major Op.7, which stands out not only for its tonality, but also for the particular elegance and fluctuation of its fugue theme.

Georg Frideric Handel's Organ Concertos Op.4 and Op.7 were originally composed as musical interludes performed during the intervals of Oratorios. Handel chose to use the organ, an instrument hitherto only used in liturgical service, to emancipate it and give it a new character, more brilliant and appealing to the public. These concertos do not require a large instrument, sporadically requiring the use of the pedal board and thus making the concertos also playable on the harpsichord.

Transcriptions, or rather the art of transcribing both vocal and instrumental repertoire, are an integral part of the boundless organ and keyboard literature that has its beginnings from as far back as the Renaissance to the present day.

This recording presents the transcription for organ solo of Handel’s organ concertos by Clément Loret, a late Romantic organist and composer belonging to the great French school of Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens. Loret intervenes on Handel's work without any scruple, offering dense contrapuntal writing that incorporates both the organ and orchestral parts, always preserving the brilliance and vivacity that characterize the original, fully using the immense possibilities of the modern symphonic organ.

Played by Italian master organist Ivan Ronda, internationally acclaimed by guest appearances in such venues as Westminster Abbey and King’s College Cambridge. He recorded the complete organ works by Mozart for Brilliant Classics.

Ivan Ronda, organ

Ivan Ronda
studied under Maestro Luigi Toja at the Giuseppe Nicolini Conservatory in Piacenza, graduating with the highest distinction in piano, organ, harpsichord, choral and orchestral conducting; he also received an honorary diploma of merit on completion of his eighth year of advanced study and went on to attend masterclasses in piano and organ, notably with the great French virtuoso Jean Guillou. Central to his repertory are the great works of J S Bach, Mozart, Reger and Liszt.

In 2004 Ivan Ronda founded the Trio Barocco (with soprano Emi Aikawa and baroque trumpeter Alberto Bardelloni), touring as far afield as Japan and the USA; the ensemble has recorded a CD of music by Galuppi, Sacrlatti, Bach, Purcell, Viviani and Handel for the label, Sheva Collection. Ivan Ronda has toured prestigious venues in the United Kingdom, performing at King’s College and St John’s College, Cambridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham and Coventry Cathedral. In 2005, he visited South America, performing in cathedrals and basilicas in Montevideo and Buenos Aires, where his Metropolitan Cathedral recital attracted an audience of 1000 people; his recordings have been broadcast on RAI International and Radio Classica Bresciana.

As an organist, Ivan Ronda is recognised for his interpretations of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, on which he is an acknowledged authority, bringing solid technique and using the colours of the organ to reveal the spirit and personality of the Baroque period’s master of counterpoint. For the French label Fugatto, Ivan Ronda has recorded a Bach CD on the great Tamburini-Bonato organ in the Cathedral of Abano Terme, and a Bach double-CD on the Silbermann organ of Arelsheim, Switzerland – both recordings were acclaimed in the international music press. The present recording of music by Bach is the first to be made by an Italian organist on the great Baroque organ of the St. Johanniskirche, Lüneburg, an instrument on which Bach himself was nurtured, played and composed.

Ivan Ronda has guest conducted at the Teatro Grande di Brescia, including the traditional Christmas concert, and has performed as accompanist to the saxophone and clarinet player Gianni Alberti, and the tenor Paolo Antognetti.

In 2009 he took up a music teaching post at the Sacra Famiglia school in Soncino, and in 2010 at the S. Angela Merici school in Manerbio; his students form a significant presence in Italian music academies and conservatories.

Ivan Ronda is organist and parish choir director at Borgo San Giacomo, and other nearby churches in Brescia.

This album contains no booklet.