Taking London by storm in 1711 with his opera Rinaldo, Handel ignited a decades-long craze for Italian opera that catapulted him to celebrity status and ultimately saw him revered as a national treasure. Demand for his music extended far beyond the theatres in which it was performed, and enterprising musicians, including the composer himself, soon began producing arrangements of his greatest hits for domestic use. 

Less than two months after the celebrated premiere of Rinaldo, London publisher John Walsh had produced a collection of the arias scored for basso continuo accompaniment that proved so popular it had to be reprinted twice in four months. In 1717 Handel’s contemporary William Babell also produced flashy harpsichord arrangements of the composer’s arias under the title Suits of the Most Celebrated Lessons.

Continuing their stylish exploration of such repertory, the London Handel Players bring an elegant intimacy to their task that still communicates much of the dramatic vibrancy of the originals. Take for instance the opening bracket of numbers from Rinaldo. After a nimble account of the...