I’m one of the man’s greatest fans. I like so much of the different styles he’s produced. He is famous for imperial ‘the king is great’ type music, but i think some of these are soo sensitive. I put them on my server to share here.
[128kbs, so depending on your modem, might be best to ‘right-click’, then ‘save target’ to disk and then play]
I would like to hear ‘As Steals the Morn upon the Night’ over a quality system at Stonehenge on solstice morn!! What would the papers and English Heritage say about that?
A few pieces I’m listening to now ::
Handel – As Steals the Morn upon the Night
Handel – Messiah – I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
oh, and this is the noisy stuff he’s good at 🙂
I used this piece, in a couple of slide shows on the Mayday Protests in Parliament Square, London
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BBC2 have just done a program on Handels Water Music and an attempted recreation of the splendour of the day. The Water Music is so famous, I don’t need to put it here. Go to the library and borrow it.
Just for your info, [well those that are interested anyway, here’s a report from the The Daily Courant]
17 July 1717: The King travels by barge on the river Thames from Whitehall to Chelsea. The Water Music (HWV 348-50) is performed three times during that trip. According to a report from the London newspaper, the “Daily Courant” for 1717. All banged out for the Elector of Hanover and now George 1.
Check out the chronology of the politics of the time at http://gfhandel.org/chron1.htm and you’ll see that Handel is doing a PR job, to make the Hanovarian King, and acceptable Englishman.
Our present lot, the Saxe-Coburg Gotha’s [or, the Windsors if you prefer] http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page1.asp also German imports, have no such equivalent. !!
sent to Berlin by Friedrich Bonet, the Prussian Ambassador to London:
“About eight in the evening the King repaired to His barge, into which were admitted the Duchess of Bolton, Countess Godolphin, Mad. de Kilmanseck (sic. Kielmansegge), Mrs Were and the Earl of Orkney, the Gentleman of the Bedchamber in Waiting. Next to the King’s barge was that of the musicians, about 50 in number, who played on all kinds of instruments, to wit trumpets, horns, hautboys (oboes), bassoons, German flutes, French flutes, violins, and basses; but there were no singers. The music had been composed especially by the famous Handel, a native of Halle, and His Majesty’s Principal Court Composer. His Majesty approved of it so greatly that he caused it to be repeated three times in all, altogether each performance last an hour — namely twice before and once after supper. The evening was all that could be desired for the festivity, the number of barges and above all of boats filled with people desirous of hearing was beyond counting. In order to make this entertainment the more exquisite, Mad. de Kilmanseck had arranged a choice supper in the late Lord Ranelagh’s villa at Chelsea on the river, where the King went at one in the morning. He left at three o-clock and returned to St. James’s about half past four. The concert cost Baron Kilmanseck £150 for the musicians alone. Neither the Prince nor the Princess (of Wales) took any part in this festivity.”
19 July 1717: London newspaper article from the “Daily Courant”
“On Wednesday Evening, at about 8, the King took Water at Whitehall in an open Barge, wherein were also the Dutchess of Bolton, the Dutchess of Newcastle, the Countess of Godolphin, Madam Kilmarnock (sic. Kielmansegge), and the Early of Orkney. And went up the River towards Chelsea. Many other Barges with Persons of Quality attended, and so great a Number of Boats, that the whole River in a manner was cover’d; a City Company’s Barge was employ’d for the Musick, wherein were 50 Instruments of all sorts, who play’d all the Way from Lambeth (While the Barges drove with the Tide without Rowing, as far as Chelsea), the finest Symphonies, compos’d express for this Occasion, by Mr Hendel, which his Majesty liked so well, that he caus’d it to be plaid over three times in going and returning. At Eleven his Majesty went a-shore at Chelsea, where a Supper was prepar’d, and there was another fine Consort of Musick, which lasted till 2; after which His Majesty came again into his Barge and return’d the Same Way, the Music continuing to play til he landed.”
