Day 22: Handel Watermusic

Day 22: Handel Watermusic

I didn’t have time to listen to the whole of the Watermuisc, so I concentrated on the Suite in F major! The movements included are based on dances - Air, Minuet, Bouree and Hornpipe. Played by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, conduced by Nicholas McGegan, this was a real blast from the past and not something I would normally chose to listen to.

So much of it was familiar! I remember doing a simplified version of the Bouree with the school orchestra when I was about 13, and I’m sure I must have done some of other movements when I used to play the violin! All in all, it’s an excellent example of the music of the time. Apparently, it is thought the suites were composed to accompany what were known as water parties, on the Thames.

According to the CD insert:

“The three discrete Suites of the Watermusick present an abundance of festive panoply, an amalgam of extroverted instrumentation, unambiguous tunefulness, and vigorous rhythms.” – George Gelles