LECTIO I
1 Instrumental Music - Introduction George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759) - The Water Music - Musicke for the Royal Fireworks - Concert Grossi Op.3 Water Music [Handel] The Water Music is probably one of the most popular Works from the Baroque period and is probably a prime example of festive courtly orchestral music.
The first part of the Water Music was probably 1717th However
is the version that played today and see all the recordings and in concert is a much later version.
The work was already in the 18th Century quite popular and was launched every few years in print. The first printed edition, which appeared in 1734, contained only slightly half of the pieces, the first issue of 1788! contains all the pieces of the Water Music as we know it.
This late edition is something special, considering that the 17th and 18 Century, not exactly known Was that there was a Konzertradition like our music and eindstufte it works as immortal masterworks and again performed.
works were written, performed, and then disappeared forever in the archives, that was the day.
(Handel and George I. on the Thames, view from the 19th century) D ie water music of the legend, after a kind of apology "have been of Handel to the new English king. Handel was
While his trip to Italy in the years 1706 - 1709 to a famous Komponsiten has gone up and successfully applied as director of music at the Elector Georg Ludwig of Hanover.
But it held him not there long, he had received an invitation to London and the chance to get to bring a new opera to the stage.
end of 1710 he traveled to England and had his Rinaldo (1711), a sensational success. Handel decided to not return back to Hanover - why? Had he but here, an audience that adored him. But
drew off a problem, the British monarch Queen Anne seemed to die without issue.
Who should succeed?
Parliament passed more than 10 potential heirs to the particular House of Stuart to prevent it again to get the crown in England.
The choice fell on none other than the Elector Georg Ludwig of Hanover.
Handel feared the worst.
Georg Ludwig was crowned in 1714 in London as George I..
The legend of the Water Music goes on to say that George loved it with splendid gondolas and boats to cruise on the Thames.
Handel adapted from one of these dates by which the king held its regatta and rented several boats and boarded it with his musicians.
He played - probably the pieces with brass.
King George should have been so inspired that he gave his earlier composer's disobedience forgive, and repeats the Water Music was three times that night.
Probably this story is a bit exaggerated and romanticized, and most likely invented.
Handel had registered as a clause in their Contract for the Kapellmeister in advance that it should be permitted to now and then to freeze for a long time. Moreover
are between the composition of the water music and the crowning of George Ludwig's almost 3 years difference ...
boat trips on the Thames had tradition at the English court, even Charles II and his brother James were regularly sailing.
Charles Nante way his sailboat "Fubbs" a pet name for a his mistresses, he found the ship and they had the same luscious hips.
The water music are basically orchestral suites on the French model.
The exact sequence of the pieces is not set, the pieces are usually taken in two or sometimes three suites together.
Part of the Water Music was certainly meant for outdoor performances, the very pieces of brass, just like the fireworks music. The pieces
intimate character that were added later are not really suitable for this.
Musick for the Royal Fireworks [Georg Friedrich Handel] The Fireworks Music Today heralds another because of their title and their glory in the New Year. But
was the reason for the composition not Eve, but the Treaty of Aix from 1748th
The original version of Fireworks Music is designed exclusively for winds, just as it requires a music for a military victory. The original line-up is delivered with 24 oboes, 12 bassoons, 9 trumpets, 9 horns, 3 pairs of timpani and contrabassoon and is typical of open-air music "in the Baroque. Here is the really
France model, which, with its brass ensemble "La Grande Ecurie" and the "12 Great Hautbois" the tradition of brass bands justified.
Handel said in a later version added more strings than he the fireworks music itself in the concert was.
ended the Treaty of Aix the War of Austrian Succession in the whole of Europe was involved. Finally, there were no real winners, because almost all the conquests were declared invalid and canceled. Losers were the people of Europe and the many thousands of soldiers. Nevertheless
was celebrated everywhere, as if one of the victors of the war.
in France was performed a similar work on this festive occasion, the ballet heroique "Nais" by Rameau.
(Contemporary view of the festivities in London for the Aachen Peace) In London, however, no elite courtly celebration was planned, but it should be given a public, magnificent fireworks.
expensive grandstands were erected, for musicians, audience, court society and the pyrotechnics.
"The Gentleman's Magazine reported on the performance:
" At half past nine known the fireworks with a single missile that was shot down in front of the library, then, the cannons fired within the chevaux de Frize, then two missiles before the front gate of the fence ignited while being fired on the Constitution-hill 101 guns, and then were burned with surprising precision a large number of missiles of various kinds, balloons, etc. " And it happened had to happen, the buildings made of wood, papier mache and cloth caught fire and finally exploded the tribune of the pyrotechnics. There were also at the edge of the event fights and stabbings.
The festival ended more or less in a disaster.
"When before 21.30 clock some of the fireworks from the pavilion on the left wing of the building lighted , the pavilion caught fire and burned so badly that he together with two arcs burned. Without the carpenters who proposed a crusher by two arches and the timber removed, and without the help of some syringe cars that were available, most likely would be the entire plant was destroyed. All the while this disaster was kept by his Majesty's messengers to-date. When the fire was brought under control, was given those who had fought the flames at the most zealous a gift. During the fire, the large rockets were ignited and the sun, the misfortune, however, thwarted the demonstration of some of the important parts of fireworks. Towards 23h00 Clock which illuminates the whole building, and remained so until two clock. His Majesty and the royal family moved back to 0.00 clock.
burned When the pavilion, drew Servandoni Chevalier, who had designed the building, his sword and attacked Mr Charles Frederick. He was disarmed and taken into custody, but released the next day after he apologized " -.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-
excursio. The orchestral suite Baroque If you think Baroque orchestral suites, then it is probably the first to the 4 orchestral suites and overtures by JS Bach.
Secondly, then the two famous orchestral works of GF Handel, Water Music and Fireworks Music.
An orchestral suite is a collection of instrumental records, mostly dances like the minuet, Bourree, Gigue, etc., of an overture, as it is also opening opera of the time, are introduced, so these works very often referred to as "Overture".
The orchestral suite on the French model is next to the Italian Concerto Grosso is the most important genre of orchestral music in the Baroque.
result is the suite in the first half of the 17th Century at the court of Louis XIII of France.
The music enthusiasts founded Monarch the 24 Violons du Roi first fixed orchestra in music history - not only to make short-list the popular court ballet, but put together very well as individual records from the ballets to be entertaining "suites" and to play for themselves.
Such a suite can be found, fortunately, in the "Philidor collection"
Concert donnée a Louis XIII en 1627 par les 24 Violons et les 12 Grands Hautbois And would probably be the oldest orchestral suite of music history.
There was already by 1600 a suite tradition, IV in the days of Henri Navarre concerts with dance movements were popular. In the 19th
and 20 century said, this music is any authorization from, since it is only "courtly Divertissement" (Adorno).
But this was the 17th and 18 century, of course, viewed differently, these dances were given as "absolute music" in the concert and dance, because no one could see or challenge.
After Germany came these suits by the dance collections by Praetorius and French violinist Francois Caroubel, where several German residences visited.
emerged in the aftermath works very quickly to these examples from France.
would undoubtedly be the most famous appearances Banchetto Musicale of 1617. These early
suits initiated by or Intradas pavans, followed allemandes, Courant and often ended with a jig or a sarabande.
Sara bands were up to the middle of the 17th Century also played at a very rapid pace, with new choreography of dance master Louis XIV, the character of the dance was completely changed.
These suites have also inspired the harpsichord and lute players, almost all the literature of the 17th Century for these instruments is in suite form.
As time drew off again, a generally applicable scheme. A Prelude always opens the suite, followed by the dance Allemande - Courante - Gigue. Often by other dances or "character pieces" added.
was also moved into the queen-shaped chamber music.
the French court, it was common become such apartments in the dances of the court ballet held together, later also from Lully's operas.
But then as always an opening overture. A
Ouverture modeled Lully always has a solemn first part, then a faster fugal second part, often the first part repeated again.
This type of overture was made about 1660, the first overtures in this new style can be found in the Ballet d'Alcidiane et Xander Pole (1659) and the Ballet de Xerxes (1660) by Lully. The previous overtures were simply pieces of solemn, had the great similarity with the usual entrees of the ballets.
This new form of Lully's overtures, remained until well into the 18th Century binding inside.
Handel's overtures for his operas, all follow this model. Handel met the queen at the Hamburg Opera Orchestersil know, there was ballet and instrumental music called after queen role model operas were also critical of Lully regularly on the program that shaped Handel's early creative phase.
He was criticized by his master, Agostino Steffani, that it was also able to cope with the Italian style.
Handel refuted this thoroughly after his brilliant journey to Italy, but they stuck to the French type of overture firmly in his operas. And one of
Sarabande from his early years, he finally created one of his most beautiful arias "L'Ascia ch'io pianga" from Rinaldo.
At the French court, Louis Add XIV A collection of the "court - melodies" in a sense a kind of "best of" the music of his time: "Les plusieurs Airs"
From Philidor arranged in several suites and some put together with pieces by more traditional composers.
The most famous collection of these orchestral suites, the "Symphonies pour les suppers du Roi" are Delalande, which also largely Part find themselves in this collection.
And just in the former German region (Holy Roman Empire of German Nation) has pleased the French suites from operas and ballets by Lully, Campra, etc. Destouches extremely popular and copies are found in almost every palace libraries.
The German princes possessed often lack the resources perform whole operas, and so that was a way to experience this music - especially the French song however, was less appreciated in Germany.
Thus, for dread of its entire web against the French style, is even talk of the French song (referred to as the Recitatif) never liked except in France and elsewhere, at best, cause "disgust" would.
But not all shared the opinion of Graun and Quantz, which probably also had a personal issue with French musicians.
In Hamburg, Hannover, Celle, Darmstadt and Munich were also given complete operas of Lully.
The German composer created for their client then equal to such suits, without a corresponding opera. Either there were
total conversions, or sets of court ballet, which were common in many courts.
There were two different groups of musicians, even those which, although at the French models oriented, but their own (German) and strengthened in particular Italian influences into their works were.
Telemann's numerous orchestral suites, Bach's four orchestral suites and Handel's Water Music & Fireworks Music are for the best examples.
Georg Muffat studied in the 17th Century, a way to bond the two major national styles.
And there was the "German Lullists" who were trying to imitate the French style to perfection, especially Kusser, who studied in their own words directly from Lully and Erlebach and JCF Fischer.
Lullists were called the followers of Lully who vehemently Defended the style of their great master and wrote scathing criticisms of other kinds of music.
In France, they had considerable influence on the musical and cultural life in the capital, they promoted and destroyed careers.
In Germany, however, was moderate and was looking for the ideal of "goûts reunis" the united tastes "They tried the best of both great national styles of music to unite with Germany.
this, one must know that between the two great musical styles in Europe at that time, the Italian and French style, raged a fierce intellectual battle that was triggered by Lully and Louis XIV and to the French Revolution lasted. This
concerned above all the opera, instrumental music was considered low class.
finally got the orchestral suite at the same time of meaning as the Italian Concerto.
recorded in the last works of this kind, even from the new way of both species eventually emerged the classical symphony.
This transitional phase of works such as the Ouvertures of Arne and Boyce or Pugnani very clear.
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Concerti Grossi Op.6 [Georg Friedrich Handel] From Handel exist two sets of Concerti Grossi, the 6 and 12 concerts concerts Op.3 Op.12. Where
represent the first collection no real Concerti Grossi, but rather are referred to as the Brandenburg Concertos of Bach and Vivaldi concertos of Dresden or Heinichen, a "Concert pour plusieurs instruments" (concertos for multiple instruments) would need.
Op.12 contrast, set right Concerti Grossi after Corelli's model or a model for Roman dar.
(GF Handel, painting by T. Hudson)
The form of the Concerto Grosso was around the last third of the 17 Century in Rome.
was there for festivities at the courts of princes of the church and the exliierten Swedish Queen Christina, where big concerts often with more than 150 musicians.
These great concerts have been performed at the high religious holidays and the high office. In all Rome there were such events, with the exception of the Vatican, because of the holiest church in Christendom instruments were still not allowed.
Handel became acquainted with these performances, and even played alongside Corelli and Scarlatti. The Concerto Grosso
emerged from the Sonata, as of Bertali, Uccelini and many others had been developed. The Concerto Grosso, however, was occupied more than the Sonata, exclusively for Thought strings and has a very distinctive style element: the orchestra (tutti) is in constant dialogue with 2 or 4 violins (Concertino) in the end it was there only a short step to a solo concert.
The Concerto Grosso is not, as the later (Solo) Concerto Baroque, in three movements, but usually consist of several sentences and for the first time by a certain formal similarity to the French orchestral suite. Especially as the
Concerti da Camera (that Concerti Grossi for secular reasons) also have dances, while the Concerti da Chiesa (church concerts for spiritual reasons), only stylized sets with names such as Largo, Presto, Allegro exhibit.
These dances, however, have no resemblance to the French counterparts. Most of the time
collections include 6 or 12 concerts each of which half is with "da chiesa" and inscribed "da camera".
The names for the "purpose" is also an adoption of the sonatas.
in Handel and many other composers of the late Baroque there is this division no longer, as the concerts long ago converted to pure concert music and completely detached from the spiritual context. Just like the oratorios, though they had biblical themes, but only rarely were performed in sacred spaces.
Or the great motets in France which, although in Versailles still play at the fair, in Paris, however long ago as concert works in the "Concert Spirituel" lists, and often extra composes it were - characteristically often in conjunction with Italian concertos by Corelli, Torelli and Vivaldi.
[large Baroque Festival in the Palazzo Barberini in Rome] The Concerto Grosso reached its first great flowering of Arcangelo Corelli and his 12 concerts Op.6.
These concerts spread like no other collection of works throughout Europe and influenced a whole generation of composers. Corelli was the antithesis of Italian composer Lully and both became leading figures of the two national styles.
Couperin took this circumstance as an opportunity to both composers apotheoses write and let them play together in Elysium.
Although it always is, in France, the Italian style rigorously rejected, that is not quite right. Many composers also composed fascinated by Corelli, and similar works in the collection of Hofmelodien that Louis XIV personally chose, there are also quite a few works of Corelli!
created Subsequently, countless concerts in the style of Corelli.
are particularly worth mentioning the 12 Concerti "L'Estro Armonico" by Vivaldi, which, however, remove very model of Corelli and usher in a sense the Venetian concerto style, which then became popular mostly by Vivaldi, Albinoni and the Marcello brothers in Europe.
H ändel composed his concertos in a breathtakingly short time, they were hardly in a month, you go from 29 September to October 30, 1739 from.
Handel was a genius in the processing of musical material.
This is particularly evident when you get a better insight into the music of the era. He has been evident in Domenico Scarlatti Essercizi by gravicembalo served, which would be shortly after arriving in London in print and published his own works, for example, looted some organ concerts, unlike the short period that the concerts were also hardly explain.
tied the Concerti this not because it would create so stringent, so many masterpieces would be left almost nothing.
Despite it all, stunning plants, as typical for the genus hardly could be.
is unusual, perhaps for the first time that Handel composed these concerts at a time when this genre was almost out of fashion on the continent and was unlikely to have played in this form.
The 30s 18th Century were a difficult time for Handel full of failures and occupational health and disasters.
He not only had to cope with severe financial shock, with Italian opera, he had no success, the last great success, "Alcina" lay back more than 4 years. The opera dispute with the Opera of the Nobility star castrato Farinelli had led to an over-saturation of the public. A stroke was, after the peak of misery.
And yet he recovered and rested, and new ideas.
The concerti are in a sense the opening of Handel's fresh start in England as a composer of oratorios.
in the early Years has been noticed before him, reached the compositions in English and with biblical themes a much larger audience, and always successful.
And with his new oratorio, he could now build on earlier successes.
way he performed in his operas in the Aktpausen organ concerts were conceived as the Concerti Grossi breaks or opening music for the new oratorio.
Man this should not watch something as negative, in the intervals between the acts of an opera or oratorio, the public expected Ebeso quality works.
Handel composed deliberately NOT on the amount of time, compare that with different works of Concerti Sammartini, Stamitz or Rameau knew from the same time, because Handel
his audience and his conservative taste. And success was
he finally right.
The Concerti Grossi thus represent not only a last high point of the genre, but also the end point.
(Heinrich Schütz) 
(Claudio Monteverdi) 
Wilhelm VI. of Hesse - Kassel 
