Ton Koopman has performed and recorded much more music by Johann Sebastian Bach in his career than by Georg Friedrich Händel. However, this does not mean that he does not have great appreciation for Händel's beautiful music. His compositions are namely breathtaking and full of emotion. Koopman performed various suites by Händel and felt that the time was now ripe to record his 'Five Great Suites for Harpsichord'.
Händel made a name for himself early on as a brilliant organist and harpsichordist. In his oratorio Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno he writes his first 'organ concerto', a piece for solo organ and orchestra at the end of the first part. From the time he settled in England, he composed various works for harpsichord, but these circulated widely in unauthorized versions and even gave rise to 'pirate publications'. For this reason, he applied for a 'printing privilege'. In June 1720 he obtained a royal privilege for the publication of his works to protect his rights. In November of that year he published the Suites de Pieces pour le Clavecin, now known as the Eight Great Suites, his most important work for harpsichord.
The spectacular Great Suites for Harpsichord show Händel as a harpsichord composer at his best. The suites consist not only of newly composed movements, but also of improved versions of previously written pieces and harpsichord arrangements of his own compositions for other instruments. The most famous piece in the Eight Suites is the 'Air and Variations' from Suite No. 5.
Because not all eight suites fit on one album, Ton Koopman made a selection of five suites. Particularly noteworthy is that the recordings were made from his house in his own study.
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