Composed: 1749
Premiered: 1749, London
Duration: 19 minutes

In 1749, Handel was commissioned to write Music for the Royal Fireworks for a celebration of the signing of the peace treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, a treaty which marked the end (albeit temporarily) of the War of the Austrian Succession. The Duke of Montague hired a theatre designer by the name of Servandoni to design and erect an enormous structure to support the largest and most spectacular fireworks display ever seen in England. In his instructions to Handel, the King specified that the music be played by "naught but martial instruments," and no "fidles." Handel did in fact add string parts, but restricted their role to simply doubling a massive band of 24 oboes, nine horns, nine trumpets, three sets of timpani, 12 bassoons, a contrabassoon, and a serpent. 

The music was written in the French tradition of outdoor wind music established under Louis XIV – an overture followed by a sequence of short dances. A public rehearsal of the music drew an audience of 12,000, blocking traffic on London Bridge for over three hours. The spectacle itself drew even greater numbers, but was not an overwhelming success because of problems with the fireworks: many of the most spectacular machines failed to light, and one entire wing of the structure collapsed in flames. The music was noted as a highlight, and Handel turned to it again when organizing a concert a few months later to raise funds for the completion of the chapel of the Foundling Hospital. The orchestra for the indoor performance was much reduced, for obvious acoustical reasons. Handel's connection with the Foundling Hospital continued for the remainder of his life, notably with his annual Messiah performances in the chapel.

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