Description
A short F major theme in 4/4 is stated and then decorated in a series of variations, the figuration growing finer each time while the outline of the theme is kept. Handel also wrote the air with variations known as The Harmonious Blacksmith, and theme and variations was a favoured form in keyboard music of the time. This one belongs to the later part of the Aylesford Pieces, a selection published from the keyboard manuscripts of the Aylesford family.
It lasts about one minute twenty and contains around 520 notes, and the music grows denser as it goes. The right hand has about 1.7 times as many notes as the left, and most of the fine motion of the variations lies in the right hand.
It is rated intermediate. The figuration speeds up as the variations proceed, so choose a tempo from the start that will still work for the last variation. Practise each variation separately with the A-B loop, and use the score view to find where the theme's melody survives inside each variation; the shape of the whole then becomes clear. The range, C2 to C6, fits on a 61-key keyboard.
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About the Composer
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
George Frideric Handel was a Baroque composer born in Halle, Germany, who later became a naturalized British citizen. Celebrated for the oratorio Messiah and his Italian-style operas, he also composed many keyboard suites and sonatas. Often mentioned alongside his contemporary Bach, his music is marked by accessible melody and stately grandeur. This site includes suite movements, minuets, and pieces from the Aylesford Pieces.
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