Description
This is the Sonatina in B-flat major catalogued as HWV 585 among Handel's keyboard works. Besides his suites and fugues, Handel left many small keyboard pieces that survive on their own. In the early eighteenth century the word sonatina did not mean the teaching sonatina of the later Classical era; it was a loose name for a short instrumental piece, and this one is very small indeed.
The key is B-flat major and the metre 4/4. It lasts about forty seconds and contains 231 notes, so a good deal is packed into a short span. The range runs from F2 up to C6, about three and a half octaves, and the roles of the two hands are easy to follow, which makes it simple to hear where the harmony is going.
Rated intermediate, the piece is short, yet close to six notes go by every second, so finger independence and the fit between the hands are tested. Start by lowering the playback speed and use the hand colours to see how the motion passes between left and right. Loop any stumbling spot with A-B repeat, and the whole forty seconds can be finished in a short time. The range fits 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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