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Handel Jazz album cover

Album guide

Handel Jazz

Rolf Zielke

Composer
Handel
Released
2009
Label
Neuklang
Forces
Piano, Saxophone, Cello, Percussion
Personnel
Rolf Zielke piano, Stephan Abel saxophone and flute, Stephan Braun cello, Rhani Krija percussion, Guilherme Castro bass, Tobias Backhaus drums

Rolf Zielke was seven when his opera-loving piano teacher introduced him to many of the Handel melodies on this album. For the 2009 Handel celebrations, he returned to them as a jazz pianist and heard the music differently.

In Zielke’s arrangements, Baroque exuberance meets South American rhythm and contemporary jazz harmony. His sextet adds saxophone, flute, cello and hand percussion to the jazz rhythm section, making those childhood melodies dance in a very different way.

Hear both

The classical side contains only the source pieces used on the album, in album order. The jazz side presents the complete album whenever a dependable copy can be embedded.

The originalsHandel · classical source works

The listening queues above follow the same order. The classical player omits tracks that are not based on a classical original.

Jazzed upRolf Zielke · 2009
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Source works

The album’s complete track listing, with each classical source identified and original compositions marked plainly.

  1. HallelujahMessiah, HWV 56, Part II: No. 44, ‘Hallelujah’ chorus
  2. Solitude In SilenceSerse, HWV 40, Act II Scene 1: arietta ‘Ah! chi voler fiora’ (Elviro)
  3. HornpipeWater Music Suite No. 1 in F major, HWV 348: No. 9, Hornpipe
  4. In The Chains Of FateRinaldo, HWV 7, Act II: ‘Lascia ch’io pianga’ (Almirena)
  5. Return My HeartTamerlano, HWV 18, Act I Scene 5: aria ‘S’ei non mi vuol amar’ (Asteria)
  6. DesertedAlcina, HWV 34, Act II: aria ‘Pensa a chi geme d’amor piagata’ (Melisso)
  7. Shady TreeSerse, HWV 40, Act I: ‘Ombra mai fu’ (Serse)
  8. RemorseRodelinda, HWV 19, Act III Scene 2: aria ‘Tra sospetti, affetti e timori’ (Grimoaldo)
  9. Fulfilled LoveRodelinda, HWV 19, Act III: aria ‘Mio caro bene!’ (Rodelinda)
  10. Scenes Of HorrorJephtha, HWV 70, Part I Scene 5: air ‘Scenes of horror, scenes of woe’ (Storgè)
  11. Just One KissRodelinda, HWV 19, Act II finale: duet ‘Io t’abbraccio’ (Rodelinda and Bertarido)