Handel - Organ Concertos Op. 7

If one organ concerto isn't enough to put a smile on your face, why not try these six of Handel's contributions to the genre, helpfully packaged up in the form of Opus 7.

A complete version of Handel's Op. 4 organ concertos appeared in 1738, but the six organ concertos of Op. 7 were published in 1761 after Handel died.

The music, written between 1740 and 1751, was written for performance during Handel's oratorios: the second was written to be performed with Samson, and the fifth, with Theodora. The collection also includes Handel's last orchestral work, in the form of the third concerto in B flat major, written in March 1751.

The concertos themselves are a kind of catalogue of Baroque cover versions, borrowing music from Handel's harpsichord suites and trio sonatas, as well as themes from music by Telemann.