Page 33 - SRMF 2024 Season Program Book

Water Music, Suite for Orchestra order in which they’re to be performed, nor are we certain

George Frideric Handel of which of the 19 movements were performed that fine
(February 23, 1685 – April 14, 1759) day in July 1717. The works are generally divided into three
suites, and tonight’s arrangement for modern orchestra
pulls movements from each of those suites.
Wassermusik (Water Music, Suite for Orchestra) from Equal parts celebratory and reverent, Water Music isn’t
HWV 348-350; composed between 1715 and 1717, so much about water as it is for water, as in specifically
premiered in 1717, arranged for orchestra by Hamilton composed to be heard outdoors. The largely boisterous
Harty music brings together Handel’s various influences from
I. Allegro his travels around Europe. Born and raised in the German
II. Air musical tradition, he also spent time in Italy composing for
III. Bourée opera in Florence under the patronage of the Medicis, and
IV. Horn-Pipe in Rome writing sacred music for the clergy. He eventually
V. Andante espressivo made his way to England, where he settled permanently.
VI. Allegro deciso Thus, in Handel we have a German writing Italian music for
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bas- the courts of England - truly a man of the (Western) world!
soons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings. These influences are evident in Water Music, as Handel
Duration: 16 minutes
deploys dance forms he would have learned in his early
studies in Germany and perfected in the Italian city states,
Let us take a moment and imagine a scene: you are an
oboe player in 18th century London. You get a summons while also including a uniquely British form in the hornpipe.
In listening, it quickly becomes apparent why Handel is
for a rather intriguing gig. King George I has commissioned regarded as one of the finest composers that worked in the
one of your favorite composers, George Frideric Handel, for Baroque era.
a new work to be performed as part of a boating excursion
up the Thames, from Whitehall to Chelsea. You, an accom-
plished performer, are skeptical, but hey, a gig is a gig, right
(setting aside that since this is 18th century London, you Symphony No. 3, ‘Rhenish’
were an indentured servant and probably didn’t have much Robert Schumann (June 8, 1810 – July 29, 1856)
choice…)?! You arrive at rehearsal to a disorganized scene
- there apparently isn’t even a full score to check your Symphony No. 3, ‘Rhenish’ Op. 97, composed in 1850,
part against, but the music is kind of amazing, and Handel premiered in 1851
himself is conducting, so maybe this will all turn out okay in I. Lebhaft
the end? After a night off, you show up to the dock for the II. Scherzo: Sehr mäßig
performance. The city of London has provided an addition- III. Nicht schnell
al barge, on which you and fifty-some other musicians will IV. Feierlich
perform Handel’s new work as your barge closely tails the V. Lebhaft
royal boat where King George takes in the sounds. Other Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bas-
boats join the flotilla up the Thames as the tide carries the soons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, and
boats upriver. The performance goes relatively smoothly strings.
given the circumstances, and Handel seems pleased upon Duration: 32 minutes
arriving at the dock in Chelsea. The king disembarks, but re-
turns after about an hour and requests the whole event be Robert Schumann wore many hats as a musician of his
repeated for the return trip. Your embouchure is tired, but time: pianist (though he largely left the pianism to his virtu-
you press on as the boats follow the ebb in the tide back oso wife, Clara, especially after a hand injury prevented him
down river. A thrilling experience on the whole, but the from gracing concert stages), conductor, journalist/critic,
event wasn’t complete until well after midnight. Exhausted, and composer. By 1834, he had founded The New Journal
you head back to your quarters, wondering if this sort of for Music, (which still publishes journals to this day), estab-
thing will ever happen again… (and - scene). lishing himself as something of a tastemaker in German
Our little flight of fancy isn’t too far from reality - rumor musical circles. He even went so far as to invent a fake
has it that King George I did indeed commission this work, musical society (Davidsbündler - League of David), which
among others, to be performed as part of a yacht party of served as a platform to hold discussions about music from
sorts. The king held several of these kinds of parties as a different perspectives in his Journal. As Robert Schumann
way to impress the public, and the particular event that was himself put it, "In order to express different views on art,
recorded on July 17, 1717 took place ostensibly in the inter- it seems appropriate to invent contrasting artistic char-
est of diverting public attention away from the heir, George acters." This society included the fictitious characters
II, and on to the current monarch. It is entirely possible that Florestan and Eusebius, which represent something of an
Handel supplied music to several of these kinds of events, internal conflict/dialogue that influenced many of Robert’s
but since no original manuscript exists for Water Music, it is compositions. He described these two alter egos as Flo-
difficult to pin down its exact origins. Ultimately, it is a col-
lection of short orchestral works, but we aren’t sure of the Continued on next page

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