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This Is What You Should Know About Handel's Water Music

Wikipedia Commons
George Frideric Handel (left) and King George I on the River Thames in 1717; painting by Edouard Hamman

George Frideric Handel was born in Germany in 1685, and moved to Britain as a young man. He spent his most productive years there, and became a naturalized British subject in his early 40s. His now-famous Water Music suites, commissioned for King George I for a ceremonial boat ride on the River Thames in London, were first performed during the summer of 1717.

Five years later, Water Music was brought inside to London’s Stationers' Hall. But whether the audience heard just a portion, or the entire hour-long work, remains a mystery. WRTI’s Meridee Duddleston puts the well-known Baroque piece into perspective.

WaterMusicMDLF.mp3
Steven Zohn, professor of music at Temple University's Boyer College of Music and Dance, adds context to Handel’s Water Music.

Suite No. 1

Suite No. 2

Suite No. 3: