Handel: Minuets for keyboard, HWV 497-557

Handel's Minuets for keyboard, HWV 497-557 (and more), are elegant compositions crafted during a significant period of his life, primarily derived from transcriptions of major orchestral works.

Particularly captivating are minuets HWV 497 and HWV 548, beautifully transcribed by Alessandro Simonetto and performed with a deliberate pace to accentuate their poetic essence. Similarly, HWV 533, 529, 507a, and 540b, along with the exquisite HWV 555a, enriched by Simonetto's interpretation, offer listeners a profound musical experience.

Among the most iconic minuets are HWV 462, 506, 545, 553, 534, 535, 537b, 536, 532, 530, and 542, here reproduced in two different recordings, alongside HWV 543.

Notable mentions include the famous HWV 516 and HWV 519, presented in their original two-voice, while HWV 602 and 603 feature transcriptions presented in a single staff format.

Alessandro Simonetto's interpretation on a replica of a 1638 harpsichord by Johannes Ruckers faithfully preserves the essence of the scores, augmented with subtle ornamentations that enhance both the dance-like and poetic qualities of the music.

The exceptional recording quality was captured using two historic Neumann transistor microphones from the 1960s.