Handel's harp concerto originally for harp & lute?

[otterhouse]

Hello All,

Recently, I heard that Handel's Harp concerto originally was conceived for harp AND Lute, but that the lute part has been lost. Is this true? On youtube a 1984 reconstruction surfaced from 1984 where Edward Witsenburg (on an Erard harp) and Toyohiko Satoh (on baroque lute) play a reconstruction of this work, conducted by Richard Hickox:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3UvfDdSpL0&hd=1

Can anyone confirm this?

Rolf

[val]

Yes, it seems that originally (1736) it was composed for harp and lute.

The recording of the ensemble Divina Armonia directed by Lorenzo Ghielmi, of the organ concertos opus 4, includes a version of the opus 4/6 for the harp and "archilute" (played by Margret Köll and Luca Pianca). It seems that, in Händel's time, the lute part was improvised. In this version the interpreters respect that.

By the way, this recording is superb, regarding all the concertos of the opus 4. It was recorded in 2007 and published by Passacaille.