The Avison Ensemble and Pavlo Beznosiuk – Handel: Concerti grossi, Op. 6 (2010) [Official Digital Download 24bit/88,2kHz]

The Avison Ensemble and Pavlo Beznosiuk – Handel: Concerti grossi, Op. 6 (2010)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 02:40:27 minutes | 3,19 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Linn Records

Handel’s unrivaled masterpieces of the concerto grosso form and style – his Twelve Grand Concertos, in seven parts, for four violins, a tenor, a violoncello, with a thorough-bass for the harpsichord – here receive their finest recording to date, with performances that leave all others – both period – and modern-instrument versions – in their wake. For obvious reasons these 12 concertos have remained popular since their publication in 1740: the irresistibly congenial tunes and engaging rhythms, the free-spirited fugues, endearing Largos and Adagios, and overall vivacious writing for all instruments elicits correspondingly high-spirited responses from anyone within earshot of these unrelentingly entertaining works.

The Avison Ensemble, directed by Pavlo Beznosiuk, present George Frideric Handel’s complete Opus 6 Concerti Grossi on a three disc set. This work is widely regarded as the composer’s greatest contribution to the Baroque period.

George Frideric Handel composed his two most famous concerti grossi – Op. 3 and Op. 6 – for playing during performances of his oratorios and odes. They were based on the older concerto da chiesa and the chamber concerto style of Corelli rather than the three-movement concerto style favored by Vivaldi. They are mostly new material, and display a wide variety of styles, including trio sonatas, French overtures, Italian sinfonias, airs, arias, fugues, theme and variations, and many different dance forms. These are both considered some of the best examples of the Baroque concerto grosso – right up there with Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti as the greatest examples of instrumental works of the High Baroque. Handel was clearly under the influence of Corelli, because he not only followed his style, writing a dozen concerti all in different keys, but even made them the same opus number Corelli has used. The instrumentation is also the same as Corelli: a concertino of two violins and cello, supported by four-part strings and continuo Two of the concerti are reworkings of Handel’s organ concerti, including the one nicknamed ‘the Cuckoo and the Nightingale.’ All have five or six movements, the first of which is usually of a very regal nature. The Avison Ensemble is based at Newcastle in the UK and is one of the country’s foremost exponents of 18th century music played on period instruments. It is named after the 18th century composer Charles Avison who was born in Newcastle. The ensemble is made up of four 1st violins, four 2nd violins, two violas, two celli, a doublebass and harpsichord. The performers are all highly skilled and Linn’s multichannel recording does them full justice. There is great clarity of the string tone and the balance with the harpsichord is just right.

Tracklist:
1. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 1 in G Major (HWV 319) – I. A tempo giusto (01:33)
2. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 1 in G Major (HWV 319) – II. Allegro (01:44)
3. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 1 in G Major (HWV 319) – III. Adagio (02:34)
4. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 1 in G Major (HWV 319) – IV. Allegro (02:35)
5. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 1 in G Major (HWV 319) – V. Allegro (02:52)
6. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 2 in F Major (HWV 320) – I. Andante larghetto (04:10)
7. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 2 in F Major (HWV 320) – II. Allegro (02:19)
8. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 2 in F Major (HWV 320) – III. Largo (02:08)
9. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 2 in F Major (HWV 320) – IV. Allegro, ma non troppo (02:24)
10. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 3 in E minor (HWV 321) – I. Larghetto affettuoso (01:05)
11. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 3 in E minor (HWV 321) – II. Andante (01:28)
12. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 3 in E minor (HWV 321) – III. Allegro (02:25)
13. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 3 in E minor (HWV 321) – IV. Polonaise: Andante (04:58)
14. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 3 in E minor (HWV 321) – V. Allegro, ma non troppo (01:20)
15. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 4 in A minor (HWV 322) – I. Larghetto affettuoso (02:43)
16. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 4 in A minor (HWV 322) – II. Allegro (02:58)
17. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 4 in A minor (HWV 322) – III. Largo, e piano (02:23)
18. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 4 in A minor (HWV 322) – IV. Allegro (02:58)
19. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 5 in D Major (HWV 323) – I. (no marking) (01:32)
20. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 5 in D Major (HWV 323) – II. Allegro (02:14)
21. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 5 in D Major (HWV 323) – III. Presto (04:03)
22. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 5 in D Major (HWV 323) – IV. Largo (02:07)
23. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 5 in D Major (HWV 323) – V. Allegro (02:12)
24. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 5 in D Major (HWV 323) – VI. Menuet (03:01)
25. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 6 in G minor (HWV 324) – I. Larghetto e affettuoso (03:17)
26. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 6 in G minor (HWV 324) – II. Allegro, ma non troppo (01:38)
27. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 6 in G minor (HWV 324) – III. Musette: Larghetto (05:01)
28. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 6 in G minor (HWV 324) – IV. Allegro (03:03)
29. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 6 in G minor (HWV 324) – V. Allegro (02:27)
30. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 7 in B-flat Major (HWV 325) – I. Largo (00:56)
31. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 7 in B-flat Major (HWV 325) – II. Allegro (02:58)
32. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 7 in B-flat Major (HWV 325) – III. Largo, e piano (03:08)
33. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 7 in B-flat Major (HWV 325) – IV. Andante (03:46)
34. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 7 in B-flat Major (HWV 325) – V. Hornpipe (03:14)
35. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 8 in C minor (HWV 326) – I. Allemande (06:34)
36. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 8 in C minor (HWV 326) – II. Grave (01:33)
37. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 8 in C minor (HWV 326) – III. Andante allegro (01:55)
38. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 8 in C minor (HWV 326) – IV. Adagio (01:03)
39. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 8 in C minor (HWV 326) – V. Siciliana (03:31)
40. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 8 in C minor (HWV 326) – VI. Allegro (01:26)
41. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 9 in F Major (HWV 327) – I. Largo (01:31)
42. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 9 in F Major (HWV 327) – II. Allegro (03:53)
43. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 9 in F Major (HWV 327) – III. Larghetto (03:20)
44. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 9 in F Major (HWV 327) – IV. Allegro (01:46)
45. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 9 in F Major (HWV 327) – V. Menuet (01:20)
46. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 9 in F Major (HWV 327) – VI. Gigue (02:13)
47. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 10 in D minor (HWV 328) – I. Ouverture (01:28)
48. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 10 in D minor (HWV 328) – II. Allegro (02:12)
49. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 10 in D minor (HWV 328) – III. Lento (02:58)
50. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 10 in D minor (HWV 328) – IV. Allegro (02:12)
51. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 10 in D minor (HWV 328) – V. Allegro (02:45)
52. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 10 in D minor (HWV 328) – VI. Allegro moderato (01:49)
53. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 11 in A Major (HWV 329) – I. Andante larghetto, e staccato (04:11)
54. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 11 in A Major (HWV 329) – II. Allegro (01:43)
55. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 11 in A Major (HWV 329) – III. Largo, e staccato (00:29)
56. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 11 in A Major (HWV 329) – IV. Andante (04:26)
57. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 11 in A Major (HWV 329) – V. Allegro (05:16)
58. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 12 in B minor (HWV 330) – I. Largo (01:59)
59. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 12 in A Major (HWV 329) – II. Allegro (02:53)
60. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 12 in B minor (HWV 330) – III. Larghetto, e piano (03:21)
61. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 12 in B minor (HWV 330) – IV. Largo (00:48)
62. The Avison Ensemble – Opus 6 No. 12 in B minor (HWV 330) – V. Allegro (02:08)

Personnel:
Ensemble – The Avison Ensemble
Violin, Director – Pavlo Beznosiuk

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