Concerto Grosso in C minor, Op. 6, No. 8, HWV 326 Cover Image

Concerto Grosso in C minor, Op. 6, No. 8, HWV 326: String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Solo Violin 2 Part

$2.50 USD
$2.50 USD
Skip to product information
Concerto Grosso in C minor, Op. 6, No. 8, HWV 326 Cover Image
Concerto Grosso in C minor, Op. 6, No. 8, HWV 326: String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Solo Violin 2 Part

Concerto Grosso in C minor, Op. 6, No. 8, HWV 326: String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Solo Violin 2 Part

By George Frideric Handel, ed./arr. by Wilhelm Weismann

Item: 36-A115748VN2
$2.50
Shipped

One moment…

Related Items

Concerto Grosso in C minor, Op. 6, No. 8, HWV 326: String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Conductor Score

$12.00
View

Concerto Grosso in C minor, Op. 6, No. 8, HWV 326: String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Conductor Score & Parts

$40.00
View

Concerto Grosso in C minor, Op. 6, No. 8, HWV 326: String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Harpsichord Part

$5.00
View
Description
George Frideric Handel's (1685-1759) CONCERTI GROSSI, Op. 6 (also TWELVE GRAND CONCERTOS, HWV 319-330), are a collection of twelve concerti grossi for two violins and cello with an accompanying four-part string orchestra and harpsichord continuo, and they are among the best examples of the Baroque concerto grosso. Modeled more on Arcangelo Corelli's concerto da chiesa and concerto da camara than on Antonio Vivaldi's three-movement form adopted by J.S. Bach, these 1739 works were composed to be performed during the intermissions of Handel's oratorios. Among the twelve Concerto Grosso can be found a mixture of original music and music borrowed from other works by the composer. No. 8 in C minor, HWV 326, borrows heavily from other sources, including: in the allemande, a reworking of the first movement of Handel's second harpsichord suite from his third set (No. 16), HWV 452, in G minor; at the beginning, the first measure is a direct transposition of PIÈCES DE CLAVECIN by Johann Mattheson; the 4-note figure in the third movement recalls a quartet from Handel's APRIPPINA; in the fourth movement, Handel quotes the opening ritornello from Cleopatra's aria "Piangerò la sorte mia" from the third act of his GIULIO CESARE; the fifth movement recycles some discarded material that he had written for SAUL, the aria "Love from sucha parent born." Instrumentation: Str Hpchrd: Str (2.2.2.1.1 in set): Soli 2Vn.Vc. This urtext edition has been edited by Wilhelm Weismann. Reprint edition.

Concerto Grosso in C minor, Op. 6, No. 8, HWV 326: String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Solo Violin 2 Part isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Pages

No sample pages found.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Orchestra Library
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 8-89-563145-5
ISBN13: 979-8-89-563145-4
UPC: 659859237565
SKU: 36-A115748VN2
Instrumentation: Hpchrd: Str (2.2.2.1.1 in set): Soli 2Vn.Vc

More about this title

About the Composer: George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) spent much of his career in London, where he became the dominant figure in English musical life during the Baroque era. His output was staggering: operas, oratorios, concertos, suites, and church music that demonstrated his gift for memorable melody and dramatic pacing. Handel recycled, adapted, and borrowed from his own works and those of his contemporaries throughout his career, a practice entirely normal in his time and one that reveals how he thought about musical material as endlessly flexible and repurposable.

He composed the Concerti Grossi, Op. 6, late in his life while still active in the theater. These works served a practical function: they filled the intermissions of his oratorio performances, giving audiences (and singers) a break while maintaining the evening's musical momentum. That practical origin never diminishes their craft or their importance to the string orchestra repertoire.

Why we love this

This concerto stands out for its architectural clarity: the ritornello-based structure gives young orchestras something secure to anchor their ensemble work, while the soli passages demand real musicianship from your first violins. The C minor key brings darker color to a form Handel treats with remarkable sophistication, and the five-movement design (allemande, allegro, largo, minuet, allegro) keeps the piece moving without exhausting young players.

What to expect

C minor gives this music an introspective, almost melancholic quality that contrasts sharply with Handel's sunnier major-key works. The five movements flow like movements of a sonata, each one clearly articulated yet bound together by Baroque logic and Handel's gift for gesture. There's grace here, not grandeur.

Who it's for

String orchestras at the intermediate to advanced level who have a secure foundation in baroque idiom and can manage the textural interplay between soli and ripieno. This works beautifully for groups preparing for a baroque concert or seeking repertoire that sits at the intersection of chamber and full-orchestra experience.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the ripieno strings carefully against the soli pair; these sections need distinct acoustic separation, not just dynamic contrast.
  • Shape the phrases in the allemande (borrowed from Handel's harpsichord suite) with a gentle forward motion, it should breathe like a dance, not trudge.
  • Keep the minuet articulate and chamber-like even at full ensemble. The minuet form invites clarity over weight.
  • Let the harpsichord continuo carry genuine harmonic responsibility. This isn't decorative; it's structural.

How to use it

Pair this with other Op. 6 concerti for a thematic evening, or nest it into a mixed program alongside Vivaldi or Corelli to show your audience the range of Baroque concerto writing. It also serves as an excellent bridge between chamber and orchestral repertoire if you're programming a concert that explores that transition.

Skills your students will build

  • Baroque articulation and phrasing conventions
  • Balancing ripieno and soli textures
  • Reading baroque string writing with frequent divisi
  • Ensemble listening across multiple string sections
  • Interpretation of figured bass practice and continuo
  • Five-movement baroque form recognition

You May Also Like