Handel - Organ Concerto in D Minor, Op. 7, No. 4, HWV 309

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) Organ Concerto in D Minor, Op. 7, No. 4, HWV 309 Composed around 1744; premiered in 1746 in London Performed by Gábor Lehotka (1938-2009), organ, with the Budapest Strings Recorded in the mid-1980s in Budapest 0:00 I. Adagio 5:51 II. Allegro 10:45 III. Organo ad libitum 12:25 IV. Allegro Handel's Organ Concerto in D minor, Op. 7, No. 4, (HWV 309) stands as one of his most structurally innovative and expressive works for the instrument. This concerto was conceived during a period when Handel was actively expanding the technical and improvisational scope of the genre, incorporating shifts in texture, contrasting movements, and space for the organist to improvise. The piece blends a solemn opening with fugal counterpoint and dance-inspired sections, showcasing the mature mastery of a composer who transformed the organ concerto from a simple theatrical entr'acte into a concert art form.