Concerto in B Flat (harp part) (LHS)

“In the British Library Nr.R.M. 20 d 4 there is filed an autographed score of the “Concerto per la Harpa” by G. F. Handel, written in1736 as a musical intermezzo in “Alexander’s Feast” for the premier in Covent Garden.

Later on it appeared as an organ concerto in a series of six concertos for organ.

Handel originally wrote this concerto for the Welsh harpist, Robert Powell, whom he admired for his virtuosity.  The harp-part in this score is playable on the non-pedal harp after some minimal changes have been made for the left hand in order to leave this free for preparing the semitones.  The whole score is as close to the original as possible.  All romantic additions of later times have been omitted.

The orchestral score is for recorder-choir (soprano ad libitum) and strings (without viola) so as to be suitable for school-orchestras.  The meaning of the repetitions in the first and third parts is to allow the grace-notes and other ornaments to be played the second time.

In the days of Handel, musicians used written music to try their own fantasies out – within certain limits that is!  Good luck to the harpists!” A. van Campen, Amsterdam, 1988