Like Bach and Scarlatti, Handel was a virtuoso keyboard player, but his concentration on opera and oratorio has perhaps obscured this fact for many. He wrote keyboardmusic throughout his life, his output including some 22 suites for keyboard. Eight of these, known as the Great Suites, and recorded on this album, have been particularly admired since they were first published by John Cluer in London 1720 under the title Suites de Pièces pour le Clavecin. The Suites demonstrate the composer’s absorption of many different influences including Italian and French styles but they also have a very German feeling for counterpoint. The London-based Japanese harpsichordist Asako Ogawa has recorded these Handel Suites on a rich sounding instrument in a perfect acoustic, showcasing her brilliant technique and engrossing interpretation. This follows on from her critically accalimed debut for FHR, the 6 Partitas of J.S. Bach (FHR92). Ogawa is one of the today’s most versatile performers on the keyboard, from virginals, harpsichord, fortepiano to modern piano.