Trio Sonata in E minor Op.5/3 HWV 398

Handel
created two sets of Trio Sonatas: Opus 2, published in 1731 and Opus 5 in 1739.
Basically they comprise existing music arranged for two violins and
continuo.  Handel regularly recycled his
material and in Opus 5 reuses music from his Chandos Anthems as well as pieces
he had composed for Marie Sallé’s dance company.  It is probable that his publisher Walsh
organised the arrangements and the order and choice of pieces, but it is clear
from the manuscripts that Handel had some hand in the process.  The result is an outstanding suite of baroque
dances. 

The
Third Sonata opens with a slow sequence featuring strongly marked staccato chords
while the tempo picks up for the second movement with an elegant interplay
between the violins. A Sarabande
follows, a popular ¾  slow Spanish dance
with the emphasis on the first beat.  A
lively Allemande ensues, a 4/4 dance
of German origin and often used in Baroque suites. There are no tempo markings
on the Rondeau but it features a
graceful melody which recurs between contrasting passages.  The Suite ends typically with a Gavotte, originally a French country
dance, it evolved into an elegant and formal sequence in the courts of Europe.