Water & Fire

Description

George Frideric Handel is without a doubt the first composer to have caused traffic chaos with his music - twice, on land and on water! His Water Music was created in 1717 for a pleasure trip of the English King George I on the Thames, about which the newspaper The Daily Courant reported on July 19, 1717 that the number of boats was so great that "the entire river was covered." More than thirty years later, Handel caused even more traffic chaos in London with his Musick for the Royal Fireworks: King George II had commissioned a grand fireworks display in London's Green Park in 1749 to celebrate the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle and seal the end of the War of the Austrian Succession. 12,000 paying spectators wanted to attend the public dress rehearsal in the Vauxhall Garden amusement park, triggering the first traffic jam in the city's history. Some gentlemen had to wait for hours in their carriages on London Bridge, as there was no way forward or back, and scuffles were also reported. The king had insisted on a gigantic wind band; a wish that Handel only reluctantly granted. As business-minded as he was, he soon created a version for a normal orchestra with strings, which was quickly accepted. Both works are now considered the quintessence of Baroque orchestral music and rank among Handel's most popular instrumental works. The Collegium 1704, under the direction of Vaclav Luks, has earned an excellent reputation through its subtle interpretations and great joy in playing. These characteristics are also fully evident in the ensemble's new ACCENT recording, allowing Handel's "Water & Fire" to shine in royal and festive splendor.