George Frideric Handel - Keyboard Suites

*** "The Texan harpsichordist Paul Wolfe was a pupil and protege of Wanda Landowska. He had a harpsichord specially built for him by Frank Rutkowski of Stoney Creek, Connecticut. It is a magnificent creature, dubbed by its maker "the Queen Mary" because of its length - nine feet! It has two manuals with a range of just over five octaves, and seven pedals to alter and mute the timbre, and it includes a buff (or lute) stop which creates a dry, pizzicato sound. The range of colour is aurally fascinating and Wolfe makes the very most of the tonal and dynamic contrasts possible in Handel's music, especially in the variations. The playing itself is infectiously full of life;...Wolfe usually chooses to pace the Allemandes very slowly and grandly, eve the Sarabande variee in the 11th Suite, which is based of La Folia. The deep bass stop (also favoured by Landowska) can be heard to its fullest effect in the Prelude of the F minor Suite (No. 8), which provides a lively end to the second disc. The two-CD set, which has 85 minutes of music, is offered at a special price." -The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music 2009 Here, in all their glory, are the mighty, classic harpsichords of another age. With a dizzying array of pedals, couplers, sound-textures and stops, these are the "Big-Rigs" of harpsichords, played with astonishing mastery by Landowska-protegé Paul Wolfe. Volume Two features two full CDs of Keyboard Suites of the baroque master George Frederick Handel (1685-1759), performed on a magnificent nine-foot concert instrument built by Frank Rutkowski. This instrument was so large that it was dubbed "The Queen Mary" by it's builders! The deep organny-growl of Rutkowski's '16 foot stop', is highlight of these performances. Early stereo master tapes, recorded at 30 ips by recording genius Jerry Newman have been digitally remastered by Doug Pomeroy to provide an aural experience so spectacular it sounds like they were recorded today! With a newly written essay by Larry Palmer, author of "The Harpsichord in America" Two CDs for the price of one! Tracks: DISC ONE Suite for keyboard (Suite de piece), No.3 in D Minor, 1. Prelude - 1:39 2. Fugue - 2:38 3. Allemande - 4:24 4. Courante - 2:03 5. Air & Variations - 9:19 6. Presto - 5:16 Suite for keyboard (Suite de piece), No.13 in B flat major, 7. Allemande - 2:06 8. Courante - 1:38 9. Sarabande - 3:00 10. Gigue - 1:24 Suite for keyboard (Suite de piece), No.11 in D minor, 11. Allemande - 2:59 12. Courante - 1:38 13. Sarabande variee - 6:41 14. Gigue - 0:57 DISC TWO Suite for keyboard (Suite de piece), No.14 in G major, 15. Allemande - 1:55 16. Allegro - 2:29 17. Courante - 3:14 18. Air - 1:35 19. Minuette - 2:12 20. Gavotte variee - 3:31 21. Gigue - 2:37 Suite for keyboard No.15 in D minor, 22. Allemande - 2:29 23. Courante - 2:13 24. Sarabande - 2:09 25. Gigue - 1:10 Suite for keyboard (Suite de piece), No.8 in F Minor, 26. Prelude - 2:48 27. Fugue - 2:44 28. Allemande - 2:48 29. Courante - 2:21 30. Gigue - 2:18