Composer: George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Difficulty: Late Intermediate
Notes Used: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, G#, A (high), B (high), C (high), D (high)
Key: A minor
Movements: I. Largo (Larghetto) - III. Allegro
Handel's characteristic opening with majestic character and rich ornamentation.
Handel's sophisticated harmonic progressions with expressive chromatic movement.
Virtuosic passage work with Handelian sequences and dramatic character.
Handel's characteristic ascending sequences building dramatic tension.
Master Handel's characteristic long trills with preparation and termination.
Practice Handel's expressive appogiaturas (taking half the following note's value).
Master the scale with G# across two octaves.
Practice ascending and descending sequential patterns.
Practice Handel's characteristic octave and larger leaps.
Handel's A minor Sonata, HWV 362, is one of the cornerstones of Baroque recorder repertoire. Composed during Handel's London period (post-1710), this sonata demonstrates his mastery of Italian style combined with German contrapuntal sophistication. The opening Largo is quintessentially Handelian - noble, expressive, and providing a perfect vehicle for ornamentation. The Allegro (Movement III) showcases Handel's gift for dramatic sequences and heroic character. Unlike the introspective melancholy of German A minor, Handel's treatment is bold and theatrical, reflecting his operatic background. These movements require both technical facility and interpretive maturity, representing peak late intermediate repertoire.