Steve Schwartz...

...raised some convincing points as to why Bach didn't delve into organ
concertos with orchestra.  Still, it's a pity, and our loss -- well, at
least for the likes of Donald Clarke and me, to whom the joys of solo
organ are generally elusive.

I'll also be chasing down some of those suggestions about other
organ-&-orchestra works, thanks.  Interesting that they were mostly by
20th century composers.  Sort of the converse of harpsichord concertos,
although both instruments hark back, or seldom seem put to good use by
current composers.  Another shame, imo.

>It just goes to show how we experience composers in different ways.
>To me, Handel is exciting, forceful, rude, and crude.  Someone once
>wrote of the "bubble and bounce" of Handel.  I think of him as Mr.
>Entertainment.

I just don't know how to respond to this depiction of Handel as a sort
of Neil Sedaka/Mick Jagger of his age.  'Must indeed stand as a proof
of the undispuntandumness of de gustibus, as suggested.  I like to be
entertained, but my recent acquisition of his Violin Sonatas (Rosand/Sung)
aren't likely to be spinning very often in my CD tray ...and this applies
also to his recorder sonatas (Petri/Jarett), which I've had for longer.
It must be my taste for an even cheaper form of sparkle, I guess, that
hampers my listening.

I gather from somewhere that Mozart studied Handel closely, and just
this morning I heard a killer version of his overture to The Marriage
of Figaro on the radio.  I'm not sure if there's anything Handelian about
it, but on its strength alone I'd certainly nominate WAM as Mr Entertainment!

Bert Bailey

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