Handel was known in his own time primarily as a composer of operas and oratorios, but early in his career, he wrote music for keyboard as well. The Suite in Bb Major was published in 1733 but is thought by musicologists to have been written early in Handel's life. This suite opens with a remarkable Prelude that gives the performer a lot of freedom of interpretation. The block chords are supposed to be arpeggiated and that opens up a wide variety of possibilities in terms of rhythm, color and voicing. These bold arpeggios alternate with contrasting sections that requires fast and even playing.