Handel: Water Music & Concerto grosso "Alexander's Feast" (Live)
5/5/2017, 26 Tracks, 1:03:08
Featuring
Laurence Cummings
FestspielOrchester Göttingen
George Frideric Handel
Did you know?
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Performer Biography
The FestspielOrchester Göttingen (FOG) brings together specialists in historical performance from prestigious ensembles like Les Arts Florissants and the Freiburger Barockorchester.
Performer Biography
Laurence Cummings, the conductor and harpsichord player on this album, has been the Artistic Director of the London Handel Festival since 1999 and the Göttingen International Handel Festival since 2012.
Composition History
Handel's Concerto grosso in C major, his only concerto in that key, was first performed in February 1736 as interval music for his English ode Alexander's Feast.
Notable Performances
During its premiere, King George I liked Handel's Water Music so much that he had it played three times during the royal boat trip.
Compositional Technique
Handel's Water Music features an original scoring for open-air performance, including a theatrical alternation between horns and trumpets in the Grand Hornpipe.
Composition History
George Frideric Handel composed the Water Music for a royal boat ride up the Thames for King George I on July 17, 1717.
You might also enjoy...
Händel: Water Music; Concerto Grosso Op. 3/3
Handel: Water Music Suites & Music for the Royal Fireworks
