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The Double Reed Archaeologist
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Chamber Music and Concertos for Oboists
and Bassoonists
Charles-David Lehrer, General
Editor
No. 73. George Frideric Handel:
Concerto Grosso Op. 3, No 3 in G Major
The initial movement of this concerto was first used by Handel in 1717-18
for the Sonata prefacing Chandos Anthem No. 7 ‘My song shall be alway’. Set
in ritornello form, it features oboe (or recorder) and violin soloists in
the episodes. None of these episodes contain bowings, so these must be worked
out by the soloists. Remarkably, the movement is initiated with a five-measure
recitativo marked Largo e staccato; the solo line here must be improvised
by the solo oboe or violin. The tutti indicates that the orchestration is
set in a mere three voices; Voice I: oboe, solo violin, and violin I; Voice
II: violin II; Voice III: continuo of viola, bassoon (or cello), bass &
harpsichord. One recognizes the influence of Antonio Vivaldi in this movement
as the continuo drops out during the episodes.
The petite slow movement is cast in the relative minor and set in four
real voices with the oboe taking a highly contorted line, supported by recitative-like
accompaniment in the remainder of the orchestra. The viola is, once again,
part of the continuo. The harmony in Walsh’s edition of this movement is
troubling, to say the least. Therefore, I have opted for the version in Arnold’s
edition, in which the harmony has been considerably revised and an entire
measure removed towards the end.
The finale is a fugue set in three real voices (viola in the continuo),
but from time to time a fourth voice is present via the oboe which normally
doubles the 1st or 2nd violins. The subject is an unusual one featuring
repeated notes, syncopation, and the interval of the 7th, a triple threat
as it were. One expects ritornello form here in order to balance the first
movement, but stile antico with its modest non-pyrotechnic episodes reigns.
In fact, this movement is an arrangement of one of Handel’s keyboard fugues.
Insofar as the realization of the figured bass is concerned, many of the
same difficulties arose as in the fugue of the previous concerto; in this
case, the movement of the bass in scalar patterns, partially brought on
by the subject itself, made for complex maneuvering in order to avoid hidden
5ths.
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