Händel and Bach

GLITTERING. MAJESTIC. PERFECT.

Händel was one of the greatest organists of his time. As his renowned colleague Johann Mattheson phrased: “Händel is surpassed in organ play only by Bach of Leipzig”. Today it is hard to imagine that Händel played his magnificent organ concertos during the intermissions of oratorio performances. He performed his ‘Concerto in F Major’, also known as ‘The Cuckoo and the Nightingale’, as an interlude to his oratorio ‘Israel in Egypt’ in 1739, and he also included some improvised passages in the former piece. The other work featured at this concert, Bach’s ‘Magnificat’ is one of the composer’s greatest works: it is distinguished by its instrumental and vocal brilliance, conciseness, wonderful balance of form and tone, and its perfect musical expression of every nuance and every subtlety of the text.

Program
Händel: Organ Concerto in F Major, HWV 295
Bach: Magnificat

Conductor
Mátyás Antal

Artists
Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir
Lilla Horti (soprano), Zsófia Kálnay (mezzosoprano ), Lúcia Megyesi Schwartz (alto), Tibor Szappanos (tenor), Zsombor Cserményi (bass), László Deák (organ)

Photo: Mátyás Antal   @Andrea Felvégi