Händel, Georg Friedrich : Suite Allemande HWV 449
Work Overview
Genre:allemande
Total Playing Time:3 min 30 sec
Copyright:Public Domain
Commentary (1)
Author : Ooi, Kazurou
Last Updated: September 16, 2024
[Open]
Author : Ooi, Kazurou
Tempo
First, regarding the tempo, for the trill and 32nd-note material starting from the third beat of the right hand in measure 17, please set a tempo that does not evoke a sense of urgency in the listener. This section should be heard with a sense of spaciousness, so a rather slow Allemande would be appropriate.
Voicing
Next, this Allemande is written predominantly in two or three voices. The two-voice sections and three-voice sections are clearly distinct. While the two-voice sections do not require as much meticulous attention, the three-voice sections demand clear voice independence.
Alto Voice
In the first half, all measures are written in three voices. In this context, the alto voice (the voice between the soprano and bass) is sometimes notated in the bass clef and sometimes in the treble clef, but it is particularly prone to being confused with the soprano. Measures 5 and 9, for instance, are particularly challenging in distinguishing the alto from the soprano.
As a suggestion, try playing all alto sections at pp. This will help differentiate them from the other voices.
Chords
Furthermore, there are instances where sudden, heavy chords appear. If, depending on the situation, the volume increases disproportionately with the number of notes, making it sound unnatural, please reduce the volume of the chord. For example, in my personal opinion, playing the third beat of measure 10 louder than the first beat feels unnatural.