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George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Suite No. 1 in F Major, from Water Music
Composed: 1715
Premiered: 1717, on the River Thames
Duration: 32 minutes

As a young man, Handel travelled widely, including a visit to Italy from 1706 to 1710. Wherever he went, he absorbed the musical trends of the place and the time, and developed a wide-ranging, eclectic style based on many different models. He seemed ready to settle down in 1710, when he took up the position of Music Director at the court of Georg Ludwig, Elector of Hanover. But he almost immediately applied for leave of absence and went to London for nearly a year. The story goes that the Elector was displeased with Handel’s insubordination, but it actually seems more likely that since he was in line to succeed to the throne of England, he was glad to have a German musician in London. He was crowned King George I in 1714. He never learned a word of English, never understood England or its inhabitants, and spent as much time in Germany as he possibly could. So the old tale that the Water Music was intended by Handel as a peace offering for his angry king is probably a romantic fiction. It is known that the king and his courtiers and his mistress went out on the Thames one evening in July 1717, and were entertained by a band. Here is an account of the event by a contemporary observer:

At about eight in the evening the King repaired to his barge. Next to the King's barge was that of the musicians, about 50 in number — trumpets, horns, oboes, bassoon, German flutes, French flutes, violins, and basses, but no singers. The music had been composed specially by the famous Handel, a native of Halle, and his Majesty's principal court composer. His Majesty's approval of it was so great that he caused it to be played three times in all, twice before and once after supper, even though each performance lasted an hour. The evening was fine as could be desired for the occasion and the number of barges and boats full of people wanting to listen was beyond counting.

The party did not get home until half-past-four in the morning. There may have been more than one such occasion, because the Water Music we know today seems to be a conflation of two or three suites in different keys. It is outdoor music, a skillful blend of concerto and dance suite styles in a wide variety of different rhythms and tone colours. The harmony is generally complete in itself without a harpsichord continuo, which would have been difficult to hear out on the water, never mind the problem of keeping the instrument in tune under conditions of extreme humidity.

Program note by the late Dr. C.W. Helleiner.

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Suite No. 1 in F Major, from Water Music
Composed: 1715
Premiered: 1717, on the River Thames
Duration: 32 minutes

As a young man, Handel travelled widely, including a visit to Italy from 1706 to 1710. Wherever he went, he absorbed the musical trends of the place and the time, and developed a wide-ranging, eclectic style based on many different models. He seemed ready to settle down in 1710, when he took up the position of Music Director at the court of Georg Ludwig, Elector of Hanover. But he almost immediately applied for leave of absence and went to London for nearly a year. The story goes that the Elector was displeased with Handel’s insubordination, but it actually seems more likely that since he was in line to succeed to the throne of England, he was glad to have a German musician in London. He was crowned King George I in 1714. He never learned a word of English, never understood England or its inhabitants, and spent as much time in Germany as he possibly could. So the old tale that the Water Music was intended by Handel as a peace offering for his angry king is probably a romantic fiction. It is known that the king and his courtiers and his mistress went out on the Thames one evening in July 1717, and were entertained by a band. Here is an account of the event by a contemporary observer:

At about eight in the evening the King repaired to his barge. Next to the King's barge was that of the musicians, about 50 in number — trumpets, horns, oboes, bassoon, German flutes, French flutes, violins, and basses, but no singers. The music had been composed specially by the famous Handel, a native of Halle, and his Majesty's principal court composer. His Majesty's approval of it was so great that he caused it to be played three times in all, twice before and once after supper, even though each performance lasted an hour. The evening was fine as could be desired for the occasion and the number of barges and boats full of people wanting to listen was beyond counting.

The party did not get home until half-past-four in the morning. There may have been more than one such occasion, because the Water Music we know today seems to be a conflation of two or three suites in different keys. It is outdoor music, a skillful blend of concerto and dance suite styles in a wide variety of different rhythms and tone colours. The harmony is generally complete in itself without a harpsichord continuo, which would have been difficult to hear out on the water, never mind the problem of keeping the instrument in tune under conditions of extreme humidity.

Program note by the late Dr. C.W. Helleiner.