Recorder Sonata in F Major, HWV 369 - Movement 1 (Grave)
- Master profound Grave character
- Develop sustained expressive playing
- Execute elaborate diminutions
- Perfect harmonic awareness for ornamentation
About This Piece
Composer: George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Difficulty: Late Intermediate
Notes Used: F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F (high), G (high), A (high), Bb (high)
Key: F Major
Movement: I. Grave
Fingering Review
Complete Grave Movement
Handel's profoundly expressive Grave with rich harmonic language.
Exploration of rich chromatic harmonies and expressive dissonances.
Handel's characteristic approach to final cadence with expressive ornamentation.
Ornamentation Guide
Transform simple notes into elaborate divisions (diminutions).
Add expressive appogiaturas, trills, and turns on structural notes.
Technical Exercises
Master the complete range with Bb.
Practice long notes with dynamic control (messa di voce).
Performance Practice Notes
- Grave tempo: ♩ = 40-45, very slow and profound; allow time for expression
- Sustained tone: Maintain beautiful, even tone throughout long notes
- Ornamentation: Add extensively; Grave movements invite elaborate diminutions
- Harmonic awareness: Understand chord progressions to ornament appropriately
- Breathing: Plan breath marks carefully; maintain long phrase integrity
Historical Context
Handel's Grave from the F Major Sonata, HWV 369, represents the most profound type of Baroque slow movement. "Grave" indicates not just tempo but character - serious, weighty, and deeply expressive. F Major's warm tonality provides a foundation for rich harmonic exploration. In Handel's time, such movements were performed with extensive ornamentation - not mere decoration but essential elaboration of the musical structure. Players were expected to add diminutions (breaking long notes into faster figures), appogiaturas, trills, and other graces based on their understanding of harmony and rhetoric. This movement requires advanced musical maturity and thorough understanding of Baroque performance practice.
Performance Goal: Convey profound expression throughout this Grave movement. Sustain long notes with beautiful tone and subtle dynamic variation. Add extensive but musically appropriate ornamentation based on harmonic structure. This movement showcases advanced interpretive skills and deep understanding of Baroque rhetoric and expression.
Practice Strategy
- Study the harmonic structure before adding ornaments
- Practice sustained tone exercises with crescendo and diminuendo
- Record yourself and experiment with different diminution patterns
- Listen to recordings by Baroque specialists to hear ornamentation choices
- Study Baroque ornamentation treatises (Quantz, C.P.E. Bach)
- Practice breathing exercises to support very long phrases
- Sing the melody to internalize phrasing before adding ornaments