Experience the refreshing beauty of this Baroque piece live in Boston with H+H.
Picture this: it’s 1717, and King George I is floating down the River Thames on a royal barge while a second barge carries 50 musicians performing spectacular music. The King commissioned Baroque era composer George Frideric Handel (most famous for Messiah) to write the music for his lavish nautical party. Handel delivered with a piece featuring loud, festive brass and wind instruments. The King was so captivated by Handel’s Water Music that he ordered it to be played three times during the event as he sailed back and forth.
The Story Behind Handel’s Water Music
Although one of Handel’s early biographers claimed that the composer wrote this set of dance suites to help mend a rift between him and George I, Water Music was simply part of an extravagant event to keep the king in the public eye. Attention was being usurped by George I’s son, who did not join his father’s entourage on the Thames. By all accounts it was a success, with The Daily Current reporting that spectators came in “so great a Number of Boats, that the whole River in a manner was covered.”
Musical Characteristics and Innovations of Handel’s Water Music
It was a spectacle never before seen—or heard. Handel’s Water Music is the first known orchestral work in England to include French horns. Handel wrote bold, clear lines for instruments that would project across the river during Water Music’s open-air premiere. He drew inspiration from the popular sounds of his day—from the French-styled overture to the graceful Air movement that captures the lyricism associated with Italian vocal music and the vibrant energy, leaping melodies, and syncopated rhythms of the English hornpipe.
Handel’s Water Music remains one of the most beloved works of the 18th century: its combination of festive, loud brass, catchy dance tunes, and elegant melodies offers something for everyone. It’s certainly music fit for a celebration. H+H performed selections from Water Music in October 2021 for its triumphant return from Covid closures.
Experience Handel’s Water Music Live in Boston with H+H
Experience Handel’s Water Music again, performed live by the H+H Orchestra at Symphony Hall in Boston on April 10 and 12, 2026. Join us for music and community as we celebrate Pride during these concerts.