The Sonata in A minor (HWV 362) was composed (c. 1712) by George Frideric Handel for recorder and basso continuo (the autograph manuscript, a fair copy made most likely in 1712, gives this instrumentation in Italian: "flauto e cembalo").[1] The work is also referred to as Opus 1 No. 4, and was first published in 1732 by Walsh. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xxvii, 15; and HHA iv/3,21.[2]
Both the Walsh edition and the Chrysander edition indicate that the work is for recorder ("flauto"), and published it as Sonata IV.
A typical performance of the work takes about 11 minutes.
The work consists of four movements:
| Movement | Type | Key signature | Time signature | Bars | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Larghetto | A minor | 50 | Concludes with a E major chord. | |
| 2 | Allegro | A minor | 38 | Two sections (19 and 19 bars)—each with repeat markings. | |
| 3 | Adagio | ? | 17 | Even though there are no sharps or flats in the key signature, the movement begins in F major. Concludes with an E major chord. | |
| 4 | Allegro | A minor | 50 | Two sections (24 and 26 bars)—each with repeat markings. A transposed version of HWV 408. | |
(Movements do not contain repeat markings unless indicated. The number of bars is taken from the Chrysander edition, and is the raw number in the manuscript—not including repeat markings.)