Sarabande

This is the Handel Sarabande that was used in all those TV adverts - given the Arnaud Dumond arrangement. The third string is set to F# purely for ease of playing, not for any thought of its baroque nature and its relation to Lute tablature (which there of course isn't),
Set in E minor, the opening theme is suitably grand and imposing with some darkly-hued chords in the lower registers. Variation 1 is in two and sometimes three voices and sticks reasonably closely to the thematic idea whilst variation 2 has longer chords held over a running bass line. So far the work is largely Handel's; at this point Dumond's compositional style takes over. We now find tambora chords interwoven with rolled thumb and finger drum effects, in the manner of a sort of funeral march. The next variation is somewhat open to interpretation as the player is to play irregular arpeggio patterns (left for you to interpret, as you are given just the chord), all to be played pizzicato, followed by the next variation that asks for arpeggios with bass alternation; again somewhat left to the performer to interpret.
The final variation has strong chords, some rasgueado leading to an apparent stop on a dominant chord at the bottom of the page [leading to a D.C.].
Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar Magazine)