Concertos Pour Orgue Opus 4 et Opus 7

Description

While Handel is well-known to the general public for his large-scale choral and orchestral works, his organ music is equally valuable. It was the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels who, diverting him from a career in law, recognized his exceptional abilities on this instrument. At 17, Handel was already the appointed organist of the Domkirche in Halle; he outperformed Domenico Scarlatti in a virtuosity competition during his stay in Rome. Martin Haselböck and the Wiener Akademie orchestra recorded the organ concertos Op. 4 & 7 in the prestigious Musikverein in Vienna, renowned worldwide for its acoustics... Haselböck plays on the impressive Rieger organ in the hall and is responsible for one of the very first recordings on this instrument. Inaugurated in 2011, it is the fourth organ of the Musikverein since its opening in 1870. With its proportions much larger than those of the organs on which Handel was accustomed to play, this instrument offers a sound palette rich in contrasts.