Trio Sonata in B minor Op.2/1, (HWV 386b)
Andante
Allegro ma non troppo
Largo
Allegro
In November 1732 Handel completed his opera "Orlando" and prepared for a revival of his "Alessandro" at the King’s Theatre, Haymarket. In the midst of all this activity, on November 23rd 1732, his 6 Trio Sonatas Op.2 made their first appearance in musical history when they were advertised for sale by Handel’s publisher John Walsh. The Opus was assembled from Trio Sonatas written by Handel over his entire creative life up to that date, the earliest (Op.2/2) believed to date from as early as 1699 – before Handel’s visit to Corelli in 1708. Op.2/1 is known only to predate 1727, and, typically for Handel, contains music he had already written – the final Allegro re-uses a duet from the "Chandos" Anthems of 1717-1718.
R. G. Bratby, 2002
Copyright Classical Notes.co.uk 2002
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