Handel Suites Pour Clavecin

By the time he issued his first collection of harpsichord suites in 1720, Handel had already focused his attention entirely on opera. As soon as it was published, the set delighted music lovers and became a bestseller all over Europe. It was such a success that it was reprinted many times. Alternating between the French and Italian styles, Handel does not respect the customary sequence of dance suites of the period. But he does touch the heart. Their direct charm and imaginative power earn these pieces, unjustly neglected today, their place in the pantheon of harpsichord music.