Concerto en si bémol

George Frideric Handel’s Concerto for harp op. 4 no. 6 (HWV 294) was first performed as part of the première of the ode Alexander’s Feast (HWV 75) on 19 February 1736, probably on a Welsh triple harp, accompanied by a small string ensemble, perhaps assisted by recorders, lute and lyrichord. The title page of the 1933 Durand edition of this concerto revised by Marcel Grandjany bears the words “transcription for solo harp and original cadenza by Marcel Grandjany”, supplemented by a footnote: “This version may also be used for performance with orchestral accompaniment”.

The purpose of Grandjany’s transcription is therefore to allow the work to be performed without an orchestra, which is why he considerably enriched the harp part in comparison with the original version. This is the source of the craze for a work that, until Grandjany’s edition, had hardly been played on the harp and which, thanks to him, has become one of the pillars of the instrument’s repertoire. Historical introduction in French and English by the harpist Costance Luzzati. – New engraving.