Flute sonata in E minor (HWV 379) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Flute sonata in E minor (HWV 379) was composed (circa 1727-28) by George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...

for flute and keyboard (harpsichord

Harpsichord

A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...

). The work is also referred to as Opus 1 No. 1a, and was first published in 1879 by Chrysander

Friedrich Chrysander

Karl Franz Friedrich Chrysander was a German music historian and critic, whose edition of the works of George Frideric Handel and authoritative writings on many other composers established him as a pioneer of 19th-century musicology.Born at Lübtheen, in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Chrysander was the son...

. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG

Händel-Gesellschaft

Between 1858 and 1902, the Händel-Gesellschaft, or "German Handel Society," produced a collected 105-volume edition of the works of Georg Frideric Handel. Even though the collection was initiated by the society, many of the volumes were published by Friedrich Chrysander working alone...

xxvii,2; and HHA

Hallische Händel-Ausgabe

The Hallische Händel-Ausgabe is a multi-volume collection of the works of George Frideric Handel. It was first published in the 1950s: initially as an adjunct to the HG edition, but by 1958 as a collected edition in its own right...

iv/3,2.

The work is the only sonata that survives as a flute sonata in Handel's own manuscript.

Of the two sonatas published in the Chrysander edition

XV Handel solo sonatas (Chrysander)

XV Solos for a German Flute, Hoboy, or Violin with a Thorough Bass for the Harpsichord or Bass Violin was published by Friedrich Chrysander in 1879. The 72 page volume contains sonatas, for various instruments, composed by George Frideric Handel. The words on the cover of the publication are:...

as Opus 1 Sonata I, this one (Sonata I^a) is not in the Walsh edition

Handel solo sonatas (Walsh)

Solos for a German Flute a Hoboy or Violin with a Thorough Bass for the Harpsichord or Bass Violin Compos'd by Mr. Handel was published by John Walsh in 1732. It contains a set of twelve sonatas, for various instruments, composed by George Frideric Handel...

. Therefore (although the work's authenticity remains unquestioned), this sonata is not strictly part of Handel's "Opus 1". Chrysander's Sonata I^a and Sonata I^b have their first and fourth movements in common.

A typical performance of the work takes about 13 minutes.

Movements

The work consists of five movements

Movement (music)

A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...

Movement	Type	Key signature	Time signature	Bars	Notes
1	Larghetto	E minor	4/4	21	In common with the first movement of the flute sonata in E minor (HWV 359b) Flute sonata in E minor (HWV 359b) The Flute sonata in E minor was composed by George Frideric Handel for flute and keyboard . The work is also referred to as Opus 1 No. 1b, and was first published in 1732 by Walsh... . Ends with a brief adagio.
2	Andante	E minor	3/4	60	Two sections (30 and 30 bars)—each with repeat markings. Begins the same way as Halle sonata no. 2.
3	Largo	G major	4/4	21	The beginning is famous from its much later use in the violin sonata in D major (HWV 371) Violin sonata in D major (HWV 371) The Violin sonata in D major was composed by George Frideric Handel, for violin and keyboard . Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xxvii,47; and HHA iv/4,28.... . The opening bars are also shared with the adagio first movement of the flute sonata in D major (HWV 378) Flute sonata in D major (HWV 378) The Flute sonata in D major was composed by George Frideric Handel, for flute and keyboard . The work is also referred to as HHA iv/18,41.... . Concludes on a B major chord.
4	Allegro	E minor	3/8	75	Two sections (31 and 44 bars)—each with repeat markings. Passepied Passepied The passepied is a 17th- and 18th-century dance that originated in Brittany. The term can also be used to describe the music to which a passepied is set... -like in a brisk tempo. In common with the fourth movement of the flute sonata in E minor (HWV 359b).
5	Presto	E minor	4/4	33	Two sections (13 and 20 bars)—each with repeat markings. Uses a favourite theme of Handel's.

(Movements do not contain repeat markings unless indicated. The number of bars is taken from the Chrysander edition, and is the raw number in the manuscript—not including repeat markings.)

Movements

See also