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- Handel, George Frideric
- Redlich, Hans Ferdinand
Duration: 50 minutes
Description: George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) composed Water Music, HWV 348–350 in 1717 for a royal excursion on the River Thames hosted by King George I, creating one of the most celebrated examples of ceremonial music from the Baroque era. Consisting of three orchestral suites in F major, D major, and G major, the collection blends French dance forms, Italian melodic brilliance, and English grandeur into a festive sequence of overtures, bourrées, minuets, hornpipes, airs, and other dances. According to contemporary accounts, the music was first performed on the evening of July 17, 1717 by an orchestra of approximately fifty musicians aboard a barge accompanying the King’s vessel as it traveled from Whitehall to Chelsea and back. The performance was so enthusiastically received that King George I reportedly requested the music be repeated several times during the journey, helping to solidify Handel’s position at the English court following his earlier transition from the service of the Elector of Hanover, who had subsequently become King George I. Although the suites were not assembled into their present form until later editorial traditions, Water Music, HWV 348–350 remains one of Handel’s greatest orchestral achievements and a cornerstone of the Baroque repertoire, treasured for its infectious vitality, regal splendor, and masterful orchestration, while continuing to delight audiences in both historically informed performances and modern symphony orchestra concerts throughout the world. Instrumentation: 1(dSopRec).2.0.1: 2.2.0.0: Hpchd in set: Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set): 2 Solo Vn (in Vn1/Vn2 parts). Reprint of Hans Ferdinand Redlich critical edition, part of the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe.