Georg Friedrich Händel: Water Music: Piano: Instrumental Work

This authentic arrangement of ten movements from the Water Music suites dates from Handel’s lifetime but is published here for the first time edited by the distinguished Handel scholar Donald Burrows. Its simple light scoring makes it excellently suited to use by schools and small instrumental groups. It can be performed in many different combinations from the original two violins bassoon and continuo to string quartet or wind-based group.

Water Music fut créé lors d?une promenade du roi George Ier sur la Tamise en juillet 1717. Composée de trois suites Water Music deviendra une des plus grandes œuvres du répertoire baroque. Haendel s?y révèle musicien international : solides bases germaniques formation italienne assimilation du goût français et de la tradition anglaise. Calvin Custer a réuni quatre mouvements du chef-d?œuvre haendelien pour créer cette suite pour Orchestre d?Harmonie.

Historical information about Händel's Water Music Suites is limited, but certainly these works were intended for two, possibly three, parties given by King George I on the Thames River, London, between 1715 and 1736. Händel and his orchestra played on a barge. Since then the some twenty-two separate original pieces have been organized into three Suites and nicknamed 'Water Music?, each having a separate key and likely corresponding to these river parties. This transcription of Water Music Suite II for saxophone quartet has two purposes: to make this music available to saxophonists for performance and education, and to provide in one volume the entire Suite II. The exception to the latter, because of the limits of endurance, is the exclusion of the short Adagio, a brief interlude between the fi rst two movements. Included though are the Allegro, Hornpipe, Minuet, Lentement, and Bourree. These works were originally meant for an outdoor performance, and one of the original intentions of the saxophone was to play in French military bands, also an open-air purpose. The original scoring of brass, woodwind, and string instruments (but no continuo) transcribe well for saxophones. Matching the ranges of instruments of the original to the saxophone quartet was a primary objective. In addition, this arrangement strives to disperse melodic material to all four saxophones so as to make the arrangement pleasing to all the members of the quartet while providing variety to an audience. Any dynamic, articulation, and tempo markings are to be taken only as suggestions so as to allow interpretation by the performers. The musical study and performance of all styles while using examples of composition and performance that represent excellence is necessary for saxophonists who wish to be well-rounded musicians. For the above reasons saxophonists are urged to listen to recordings of the original orchestration in order to learn and imitate proper interpretation of Baroque style. There are currently a number of excellent recordings of Handel's Suites on period instruments, such as (but not limited to) those by conductors John Eliot Gardiner, Christopher Hogwood, and the ensemble Tafelmusik. The Lewis-Clark State College Saxophone Quartet has for many years enjoyed performing Suite II for concerts, ceremonies and social settings, and I thank Advance Music for the opportunity to bring these great works to the profession. / 4 Saxophones (SATBar)

This volume contains some attractive yet almost totally unfamiliar keyboard pieces by Handel five of them here published for the first time. Seven are original keyboard compositions three are arrangements by the composer himself of opera arias and the 'Folio' is completed by a movement which occurs in orchestral form in Handel's first opera Almira and by the famous Air from the Water Music. Edited by Terence Best.

G.F. Handel's Two Pieces from the Water Music has been arranged for String Orchestra by Richard Ling. Score and Parts.

String teachers have come to enjoy the the skilled arrangements of John Leavitt and his treatment of this Handel classic is one of his best yet. Three famous themes have been arranged in a short suite of dances that capture thebaroque style with carefully designed ensemble and inner part writing. Includes: Hornpipe Aire and Allegro. Dur: 4:20