Handel and Haydn Society Spring Streaming Season Begins with THE MAGIC OF HANDEL

The Handel and Haydn Society will celebrate The Magic of Handel with an online concert January 26, 2021. The concert will feature four of H+H's principal musicians performing works by the great Baroque composer.

The Magic of Handel will be available free, with a suggested donation of $10, through the Handel and Haydn Society website at handelandhaydn.org/streaming-concerts/. The concert will stream for registered listeners on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 3:00 PM ET, and will be available for one month. H+H season subscribers and donors of $100 or more will receive additional content and early access to the performance two days before the public.

The performance will begin with Concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky; Susanna Ogata, violin; Guy Fishman, cello; and Ian Watson, harpsichord presenting Handel's romantic Trio Sonata in A Major, HWV 396; and the Violin Sonata in D Major, HWV 371. The performance also includes the playful Variations from Harpsichord Suite in E Major, HWV 430 "Harmonious Blacksmith." The concert will conclude with Trio Sonata in G Major, HWV 399. Every piece will be performed on the period instruments for which Handel composed.

"These brilliant chamber works show an intimate and personal side of Handel's compositional genius," said Aisslinn Nosky. "Our patrons might be used to hearing us perform Handel's grand oratorios but these sonatas will reveal a more delicate aspect of his craft. This is music meant to be shared with close friends. These pieces are so fun to play that I find it hard to stop myself from imagining Handel himself sitting in his drawing room and playing them through with his friends. He was a masterful keyboardist and also a very fine violinist - perhaps he played through all of the parts himself."

"We are fortunate to have Aisslinn, Susanna, Guy, and Ian bring these pieces to life and allow our listeners to experience them with H+H's trademark freshness," said Handel and Haydn Society President and CEO David Snead. "Host Emily Marvosh will also join the program to interview the musicians, adding intimate views and insights into this sparkling concert. It's a wonderful way to kick off our Spring Season that will be full of firsts for H+H including a commission from Jonathan Woody and a Violin Concerto by Saint-Georges."

The Magic of Handel will begin streaming Tuesday, January 26, 2021. Anyone wishing to view the concert is asked to register now through the Handel and Haydn Society website at https://handelandhaydn.org/concerts/streaming-concerts-2020-21/the-magic-of-handel/