Handel: Concerti grossi, Op. 6 Nos. 1-6 Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin & Bernhard Forck

• George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759): Concerto grosso in G Major, Op. 6, No.1 (HWV 319):
• 1Concerto grosso in G Major, Op. 6 No. 1, HWV 319: I. A tempo giusto01:44
• 2Concerto grosso in G Major, Op. 6 No. 1, HWV 319: II. Allegro01:42
• 3Concerto grosso in G Major, Op. 6 No. 1, HWV 319: III. Adagio02:27
• 4Concerto grosso in G Major, Op. 6 No. 1, HWV 319: IV. Allegro02:28
• 5Concerto grosso in G Major, Op. 6 No. 1, HWV 319: V. Allegro02:56
• Concerto grosso in F Major, Op. 6, No. 2 (HWV 320):
• 6Concerto grosso in F Major, Op. 6 No. 2, HWV 320: I. Andante larghetto03:43
• 7Concerto grosso in F Major, Op. 6 No. 2, HWV 320: II. Allegro02:34
• 8Concerto grosso in F Major, Op. 6 No. 2, HWV 320: III. Largo02:17
• 9Concerto grosso in F Major, Op. 6 No. 2, HWV 320: IV. Allegro, ma non troppo02:12
• Concerto grosso in E Minor, Op. 6, No. 3 (HWV 321):
• 10Concerto grosso in E Minor, Op. 6 No. 3, HWV 321: I. Larghetto01:22
• 11Concerto grosso in E Minor, Op. 6 No. 3, HWV 321: II. Andante01:32
• 12Concerto grosso in E Minor, Op. 6 No. 3, HWV 321: III. Allegro02:27
• 13Concerto grosso in E Minor, Op. 6 No. 3, HWV 321: IV. Polonaise. Andante03:45
• 14Concerto grosso in E Minor, Op. 6 No. 3, HWV 321: V. Allegro, ma non troppo01:26
• Concerto grosso in A Minor, Op. 6, No. 4 (HWV 322)
• 15Concerto grosso in A Minor, Op. 6 No. 4, HWV 322: I. Larghetto affetuoso02:37
• 16Concerto grosso in A Minor, Op. 6 No. 4, HWV 322: II. Allegro02:49
• 17Concerto grosso in A Minor, Op. 6 No. 4, HWV 322: III. Largo e piano02:11
• 18Concerto grosso in A Minor, Op. 6 No. 4, HWV 322: IV. Allegro02:35
• Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6, No. 5 (HWV 323):
• 19Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 5, HWV 323: I. Larghetto e staccato01:48
• 20Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 5, HWV 323: II. Allegro02:08
• 21Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 5, HWV 323: III. Presto03:43
• 22Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 5, HWV 323: IV. Largo02:09
• 23Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 5, HWV 323: V. Allegro02:30
• 24Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 5, HWV 323: VI. Menuet. Un poco larghetto02:37
• Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 6, No. 6 (HWV 324):
• 25Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 6 No. 6, HWV 324: I. Largo affettuoso03:03
• 26Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 6 No. 6, HWV 324: II. A tempo giusto01:40
• 27Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 6 No. 6, HWV 324: III. Musette. Larghetto04:37
• 28Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 6 No. 6, HWV 324: IV. Allegro02:54
• 29Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 6 No. 6, HWV 324: V. Allegro02:17
• Total Runtime01:12:13

Info for Handel: Concerti grossi, Op. 6 Nos. 1-6

The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin kickstarts their Handel trilogy with this recording of the first six concerti grossi op. 6. Originally designed as attractive interludes to English oratorio performances, Handel’s concerti grossi soon gained fame as the most appealing orchestral music of the baroque era. Written in London in 1739, towards the end of his career, Handel paid tribute to the immensely popular concerti grossi of Corelli while simultaneously proving his mastery incorporating all musical styles of his times. Led by their concertmaster Bernhard Forck, the players of the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin demonstrate why many consider them the best baroque ensemble of today. This first instalment will be followed by the last six concerti grossi op. 6, as well as a recording of the concerti grossi op. 3. The ensemble’s first PENTATONE album, Cantata (2018) with countertenor Bejun Mehta, won a Diapason d’or.

Handel wrote the first six Concerti Grossi published as op. 6 in just over two weeks, from September 29 to October 15, 1739 (the final six were completed before Hallowe'en). You can hear the rush of inspiration in these works in a way that few pieces of music can match. I think of Mozart's piano concertos from the spring of 1785, and Schubert's composition of Winterreise in February and October of 1827. Handel's orchestral music sounds robust when it's played like this, but I've heard more than a few versions of both op. 3 and op. 6 that were crippled by poor musical choices or stylistic axe-grinding, on both sides of the Historically Informed Practices divide. Bernhard Forck and his very fine Berlin musicians, supported by Pentatone's fine engineers, let Handel's inspiration flow unimpeded.

Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
Bernhard Forck, conductor

The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin (Akamus)
was founded in 1982 in Berlin. Since its beginnings, it has become one of the world‘s leading chamber orchestras on period instruments and can look back on an unprecedented history of success. From New York to Tokyo, London or Buenos Aires, Akamus is a welcome guest, appearing regularly at the most important venues throughout Europe and internationally, touring as far afield as the USA and Asia.

Akamus has established itself as one of the pillars of Berlin‘s cultural scene, having had its own concert series at the Konzerthaus Berlin for more than 30 years and having collaborated with the Staatsoper Berlin on their Baroque repertoire since 1994. In addition, the ensemble has had its own concert series at Munich’s Prinzregententheater since 2012.

With up to 100 performances annually, Akamus performs in a variety of formations from chamber music to symphonic repertoire. As well as working with guest conductors, the orchestra is often directed from the leader‘s chair by one of its three concert masters Bernhard Forck, Georg Kallweit or Stephan Mai.

The ensemble has an especially close and enduring partnership with René Jacobs. Their mutual passion to explore new paths has led to the rediscovery and new interpretation of many operas and oratorios, to great international critical acclaim. Their recordings of Mozart’s "The Abduction from the Seraglio" and Bach’s "St. Matthew" and "St. John" Passions received numerous awards and their productions at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna have been praised highly by the international press.

In the recent past, Akamus was directed by Emmanuelle Haïm, Bernhard Labadie, Paul Agnew, Diego Fasolis and Rinaldo Alessandrini. Akamus‘ most fruitful cooperation with the RIAS-Kammerchor has produced many award-winning recordings. In addition, the ensemble maintains close cooperation with the Bavarian Radio Chorus. Regular guests include internationally renowned soloists such as Isabelle Faust, Andreas Staier, Alexander Melnikov, Anna Prohaska, Werner Güra, Michael Volle and Bejun Mehta. Together with the Sasha Waltz & Guests dance company, Akamus has developed successful productions such as "Dido & Aeneas" (music by Henry Purcell) and "Medea" (music by Pascal Dusapin).

Having sold more than a million CDs, Akamus is a highly successful orchestra internationally. Their recordings have won all important awards for classical recordings, such as the Grammy, Diapason d‘Or, Cannes Classical, Gramophone, Edison, MIDEM Classical, Choc de l‘année as well as the Jahrespreis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik. In 2006, Akamus received the Telemann prize of Magdeburg and in 2014 both the Bach Medal and Echo Klassik.

Akamus‘ most recent CD productions include Bach‘s "Dialogue Cantatas" with Sophie Karthäuser and Michael Volle, Bruckner‘s „Missa solemnis“ with the RIAS Kammerchor under the baton of Łukasz Borowicz, „Cantata“, a new recording with Bejun Mehta, and Mozart’s “Great Mass in C minor” with the Bavarian Radio Chorus under the baton of Howard Arman.

Bernhard Forck
has dedicated himself to the violin since the age of five. After completing his studies in 1986 at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin with Eberhard Feltz he became a member of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. At the same time he became interested in historical performance practice and studied with several leading authorities in the field, including Nikolaus Harnoncourt at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

Bernhard Forck has been a member of the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin since the ensemble’s start in 1982. His involvement as one of the ensemble’s concertmasters is the result of his intensive work with historical performance practice and has played a key role in establishing the success of Berlin’s period instrument ensemble. Together with Akamus, Bernhard Forck has regularly performed in Europe’s musical metropolises, touring the Middle East, Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia, as well as North and South America.

His professional career as a violinist has also flourished through his work with the Berlin Barock Solisten, of which he is a member as well. Numerous CD productions and performances abroad attest to his artistic prowess, seen too in his work as a teacher at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. Moreover, as a modern violinist he founded the Manon Quartet Berlin in 1995, an ensemble which dedicated itself to the music of the Second Viennese School and was part of Tanglewood’s Quartet in Residence program.

In 2007 he became the musical director of the Handel Festival Orchestra in Halle and is the artistic director of the concert series Händel zu Hause. In 2010 he conducted the festival’s production of Handel’s opera Orlando and in 2012 the festival’s production of Alcina. CD and DVD recordings document this successful work with the festival.

Booklet for Handel: Concerti grossi, Op. 6 Nos. 1-6