Händel, Georg Friedrich : Suite HWV 429
Work Overview
Instrumentation:Piano Solo
Genre:suite
Total Playing Time:14 min 10 sec
Copyright:Public Domain
Commentary (1)
Author : Maruyama, Yoko
Last Updated: August 20, 2011
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Author : Maruyama, Yoko
No. 4 in E minor, HWV 429
The exact date of composition for movements other than the opening fugue, completed in 1718, is unknown, but stylistically they are considered to predate Handel's Hamburg period. The Allemande and Sarabande were revised at the time of publication.
The choice to begin the suite with a fugue likely takes inspiration from Johann Mattheson's Harmonisches Denckmahl aus zwölf auserwählten Claviersuiten, published in London in 1714. Ingenuity in thematic manipulation is evident, such as the anticipation of the subject's entry with a characteristic three-note repeated figure, feigned imitations (mm. 32ff., 73ff.), and stretto (mm. 36ff.).
Among the dance movements, the Courante, Sarabande, and Gigue show similarities to Froberger's late style, which favored three-part writing and blended characteristics of both French and Italian styles.
The opening of the Allemande employs a simple texture, primarily in two voices. In contrast, the latter half features a somewhat denser intertwining of voices; while not overly difficult, the imitations of short motives occur at closer intervals, making it more complex compared to the first half.
The Courante shares similarities with No. 3 in both melodic rhythm and figuration. Rhythmically, the complementary eighth-note rhythms create an Italianate regularity, while the emphasis on the second beat, marked by half notes, characterizes the entire movement.
The Sarabande is a Spanish-originated dance that spread throughout Europe via France. The shifting accent, from the first to the second beat in the first measure and vice versa in the second measure, as used in this work, is the most frequently employed rhythmic pattern. From measure 33, for the only time in the movement, the same phrase ascends in a three-fold sequence, leading to the movement's greatest musical climax.
The imitative writing found in the three-part Gigue is considered characteristic of the French style, but its formal structure, with relatively clear divisions, is rather typical of the Italian style. Care should be taken not to lose track of the individual voice movements within the rapid rhythm.
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