Organ Concerto in G minor, Op. 4 No. 1, HWV 289

The six Op. 4 organ concertos, published by John Walsh in 1738, were the first organ concertos ever published, and Handel invented the genre specifically for himself to perform between the acts of his oratorios at Covent Garden and elsewhere. The G minor concerto HWV 289, first in the set, establishes the model: a modest Baroque orchestra of strings and oboes supports and converses with the organ soloist in a relaxed, conversational style quite different from the orchestral concerto's virtuosic display. The four-movement structure — A tempo ordinario, Allegro, Adagio, and Andante — moves from stately grandeur through gentle contrapuntal dialogue to a folklike final movement of simple charm. Handel left much of the solo part unwritten, marked simply 'ad lib.', indicating that performers should improvise freely; this practice remains common today. The concertos are essential repertoire for church and recital organists.