HANDEL EDITION Liner Notes & Sung Texts
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HANDEL EDITION Liner notes & sung texts (p. 40 – p. 97) LINER NOTES CD1 WATER MUSIC and in the fashionable country dance – and added splendid A king does not amuse himself alone highlights to the whole with horns (“French horns”, a novelty in On the evening of July 17, 1717, King George I of England England) and trumpets. Not only King George was enthusiastic boarded the royal barge at Whitehall in the company of a select about it. Striking proof of the popularity of the Water Music is group of ladies and was rowed up the Thames as far as Chelsea, the fact that pieces from it very soon found their way to the where Lady Catherine Jones was expecting him for supper. The concert platforms and into London's theatres; some were even river teemed with boats and barges, as the Daily Courant under laid with texts, two were used in Polly, the sequel to the announced two days later, for everybody who was anybody in legendary 'Beggar’s Opera by John Gay and John Christopher London wanted to accompany the king on this pleasure trip. A Pepusch and one was included in The English Dancing Master by special attraction was provided by a barge of the City Company, John Playford, a famous; often republished collection of popular on which some fifty musicians performed music composed dances. The “Minuet for the French Horn” and the ''Trumpet especially for the occasion; the king liked it so much that he had Minuet” enjoyed particular popularity. They were also the first it repeated twice. pieces from the “Water The most informative account of the event is the detailed Music” that appeared in print (in the harpsichord anthology The report the Prussian ambassador Friedrich Bonet sent to his king, Ladies Banquet of 1720), followed in 1725 by the overture in Friedrich Wilhelm I, the son-in-law of the Hanoverian Elector the French style. In 1733 Handel's publisher John Walsh who had ascended the throne of England as King George I in published The Celebrated Water Musick, a version for seven 1714. In going on to remark that the crown prince and his wife orchestral parts which reduced the work to eleven movements; did not participate in the celebrations, Bonet was certainly he published the rest ten years later (at the time Handel's aware of the political significance of what he said. Not only did Messiah had its London premiere) as Handel's Celebrated Water the new (Protestant) king have to grapple with the adherents of Musick Compleat, but only as an arrangement for harpsichord James Stuart, the (Catholic) pretender to the throne who had (or as we would say today, a “piano score”). It was not until plotted a rebellion in 1715, but he had also had to look on as his 1788 that Samuel Arnold published a complete orchestral own son's house turned into a meeting place of the edition. parliamentary opposition. Georg of Hanover, now inevitably Conscientious editors have had to face the fact that called "George", did not particularly like England, and the Handel's autograph has not survived, that various manuscript English did not like him either, so that William Makepeace versions exist and that there are divergences between the Thackeray was probably right when he later wrote that, given various printed sources. Three different suites can be extracted the choice, the king would have liked to leave England to, its from the surviving scores: one in F major (with horns), one in D own devices as far as possible and live elsewhere as much as major (with horns and trumpets) and a "more tender" one in G possible; his heart remained in Hanover. However, in view of major (with transverse flutes and recorders) that might well political developments, he renounced his annual holiday at have served as "Tafelmusik" (banqueting music) at Lady home in the summer of 1717 and used the time, to make Catherine's supper, Friedrich Bonet, who is known for his himself more likeable to his new subjects. On July 15, before precise reporting, states that the music lasted an hour in all, shutting down for the summer, Parliament approved an which might indicate that all three suites, in whichever order, amnesty for most of the imprisoned Jacobite insurgents not yet sounded on the Thames. Friedrich Chrysander, who is much executed, while the summer was brightened up by a series of chided by his modern colleagues but was in fact in infinitely festivities; among them, splendid receptions at Hampton Court commendable editor who realized the first monumental Palace. The cruise on the Thames was accordingly anything but complete Handel edition practically singlehanded, essentially a private amusement. Bonet's report also reveals that the king decided to adopt the sequence of movements given by Samuel was not thinking of paying for the events from his private purse. Arnold, in which the Suites II and III are arranged as a single He began by trying to engage Heidegger; who had made a good suite. A sensational find in the archive of the Royal Society of deal of money with his masques on a subscription basis, to Musicians in London seems to indicate that both views are organize the event on the Thames. However, the Swiss right. A complete manuscript score discovered there in 2004 is impresario would have nothing to do with the idea, so it fell to the earliest of all the sources so far known. It offers a possible George's Master of Horse and close friend Baron Kielmansegge alternative, to the usual - and musically just as meaningful- to organize the event, in which the musicians alone cost him division into three suites. But whether it truly represents the 150 pounds. It was Kielmansegge who had arranged for the "original form" of 1717 will probably have to remain an open young Handel, then enjoying success in Italy, to become question - at least until the event of Handel’s autograph Kapellmeister in "Hanover (where he did not spend much time, appearing in some or other archive... having already extended his feelers in the direction of England), © Babette Hesse and who now gave Handel the commission which resulted in Translation: J & M Berridge one of the most irrepressible classics of light music. For the Water Music is indeed light music of the very finest kind. All it has to do with water is the fact that it was first performed on the Thames. In a sparklingly elegant mixture of styles, Handel combined the best from France and Italy, spiced with English local colour - as in the hornpipe musically ennobled by Purcell 1 95050 Handel Edition CD2 composer Telemann and become cathedral organist in his home MUSIC FOR THE ROYAL FIREWORKS town. The creation of Music of the Royal Fireworks we also owe to a By 1705, Handel was in Hamburg writing operas with some royal feast. In 1748, the Austrian war of succession was ended varied success. Inexperience led him to visit Italy where he met by the Peace of Aachen. The English King ordered a large the Scarlatti’s in Florence and the Prince of Hanover in Venice, fireworks display for the peace celebrations in Green Park. Back who at the time was looking for a new Kapellmeister. But then, this meant, that for this show a unique, huge "machine" opportunities were to lead the composer to England where the was to be built out of wood, with a triumphal arch, with doric success of his opera “Rinaldo” established his name overnight. columns and everything else that goes with it. At the climax of Handel soon became into the service of the Hanoverian the festivities, a mechanical rocket would shoot burning wheels monarch in London and began to write not only operas for the and other fireworks into the sky. Naturally, bombastic music London stage, but also occasional pieces for the Royal family was needed to accompany this spectacle. "Military music" was including his anthems and the famous Water Music and what the king wished to have. Handel reluctantly fulfilled this Fireworks Music. But London was also fired by rivalries in the wish and arranged the score for 9 trumpets, 9 horns, 24 oboes, musical world and Handel’s operas were soon to be marked by 12 bassoons; and three kettle drums; in a note he demanded a the contests of rival prima donnas. Restrictions on strengthening of the oboes and bassoons by the strings. What it performances of stage works led Handel to inaugurate a new finally sounded like is not reported. But we do know that "the style of unstaged , music theatre in his Oratorios, the most illumination was poor and that the firing took so long that famous of which include “Samson”, “Judas Maccabeus” and hardly anyone had the patience to remain until the end." These “Messiah” and it was during a performance of the later work in annoyances belong to the remote past. What remains is the 1759 that Handel was taken ill and died short after. He was magnificent, indestructible "Music of the Royal Fireworks" buried, as he himself wished, in Westminster Abbey where his © Ingeborg Allihn memorial stands to this day. Translation: Danny Antonelli The earlier of the two sets of Concerti Grossi by Handel bears the opus number 3 but it is uncertain when they were SINFONIAS actually composed although it is known they were first The fact that Handel's charming Sinfonia in B flat HWV339 has published in London in 1734. It has been suggested that they been preserved for posterity is thanks to two copies made by date from Handel’s period at the Court of Hanover but there is someone other than Handel himself.