The Six Recorder Sonatas by George Frideric Handel are a compendium of the recorder's original literature, and have an exceptional position because of their beauty....

The Six Recorder Sonatas by George Frideric Handel are a compendium of the recorder's original literature, and have an exceptional position because of their beauty. They're typically Handelian in character, in that the upper voice is very vocal, like his operas. The melodies are truly captivating and remarkable for their "simplicity" which demands far more virtuosity than simply moving the fingers quickly. The goal of Stefan Temmingh, one of Germanys most renowned recorder players of the younger generation, is to come as close as possible to the greatest of all instruments - the human voice. The bass line makes an equal counterpart to the recorder part; it's opulent, virtuosic and full of variety - much more than in comparable pieces. It's executed without cello only by harpsichord, performed in an outstanding way by Wiebke Weidanz.