Georg Friedrich Händel

Water Music Suite (from HWV 348-350)

George Friderick Handel (1685-1759) wrote WATER MUSIC at the behest of King George I, who wanted to entertain his royal guests with music as they sailed by barge down the Thames River. The king and his guests filled one barge, Handel's 50-piece orchestra filled the other, and the king enjoyed the concert so much that he ordered two more performances of the work as they floated from Whitehall to Chelsea and back again. Intended for outdoor use due to its expansive orchestration, Water Music is traditionally performed in three separate suites. In 1922, the Irish conductor Sir Hamilton Harty (1879-1941) arranged several movements, primarily from the F major suite, in his own lush, idiomatic style. Movements: I. Allegro; II. Air (Andante un poco allegretto); III. Bourée (Vivace); IV. Horn-Pipe (Delicato, ma con molto brio); V. Andante espressivo; VI. Allegro deciso. Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2: 4.2.0.0: Timp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).