Water Music Suite

George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel (arr. Frank Erickson)

General Info

Year: 1715 / 1985
Duration: 13:36
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $90.00 | Score Only - $15.00

Movements

1. Allegro
2. Aria
3. Air
4. Gigue
5. Hornpipe
6. Coro (Chorus)

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo/Flute I
Flute II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
Eb Contrabass Clarinet
BB-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion, including:

Bass Drum
Crash Cymbals
Snare Drum
Triangle

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The Water Music is undoubtedly one of the most famous and popular of all Handel's instrumental works, consisting of three separate suites. The following is a quote from a report written by an envoy to the British court of George I in 1717.

Some weeks ago, the king expressed a wish to have a concert on the river (Thames). By the side of the royal barge were musicians to the number of 50 who played all kinds of instruments: trumpets, hunting horns, oboes, bassoons, German flutes, French flutes, violins and basses. This concert was composed expressly for the occasion by the famous Handel, native of Halle, the first composer of the king's music. It was so strongly approved by His Majesty that he commanded it to be repeated, once before and one after suppers, although it took an hour for each performance.

This suite for concert band consists of six of the most popular movements.

- Program Note from score

In commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the birthday of Geog Friedrich Handel.

-Program Note from score

Shortly after the ascension of George I to the English throne, Handel was requested to compose some music for the occasion of an aquatic festival given by the king. This festival was held August 22, 1715, on the River Thames. For the occasion Handel wrote a suite of 20-odd pieces which were performed by a band of musicians under his direction. It is interesting to note that he composed the music for a group of wind instruments. Thus, we may regard the suite as an original band work. The musicians were seated upon a barge immediately following that of the king, and played continuously during the voyage from Limehouse to Whitehall.

- Program Note from Program Notes for Band

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

Florida: V
Indiana: ISSMA SENIOR BAND GROUP II
Virginia: V

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Golden Gate Park Band (San Francisco, Calif.) (Robert Calonico, conductor) - 1 August 2021
Western Reserve Community Band (Hudson, Ohio) (Ralph Meyer, conductor) – 16 March 2019
Cottonwood Community Band (Sedona, Ariz.) (Sy Brandon, conductor) – 17 March 2019
Burbank (Calif.) Community Band (Paulette Westphal, conductor) – 25 February 2017
Atascadero (Calif.) Community Band (Randy Schwalbe, conductor) - 2 November 2014
Concerto Banda cittadina Madonna di Tirano (Italy) 4 January 2014

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Hail the Conquering Hero (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Marlatt) (1746/2008/2014)
Hallelujah Chorus (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1741/2013)
Hallelujah Chorus (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Thorp) (1741/2003)
Hornpipe from the "Water Music" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1717/2012)
Handel's Largo (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Brand) (1738/2007)
See the Conquering Hero Comes (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Brand) (1746/2007)
Water Music Suite (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Kanayama) (1717)

All Wind Works

Air and Finale (arr. Balent) (1717/1989)
Amen (arr. Grace) (1741/2003)
Antiphonal Alleluia (arr. Liebergen) (1746/1999)
Ariodante Suite (arr. Elledge) (1735/2004)
Arm, Arm, Ye Brave (arr. Barrow) (1746/1980)
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (arr. Allen) (1748/2007)
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (arr. Kenny) (1748/1988)
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (arr. Ricketts) (1748/2004)
Concerto Grosso, Op 6
Concerto Op. 5, No. 6 (arr. Werle)
Conquering Hero Comes, The, from "Judas Maccabeus"
Dead March from "Saul"
Entrance of the Queen of Sheba (arr. Marlatt) (1748/2011)
Finale Grandioso (arr. Philip Gordon) (1724/1973)
Fughetta (tr. Conley) (/1986)
The Gods Go A-Begging (arr. Beecham; arr. Duthoit; rev. Leidzen) (1929/1947)
Hail the Conquering Hero (arr. Marlatt) (1746/2008)
Hail the Conquering Hero (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Marlatt) (1746/2008/2014)
Hallelujah (arr. Davis and Longfield) (1741/2004)
Hallelujah, Amen (arr. Barnes) (1741/1986)
Hallelujah Chorus (arr Ades) (1741/1958)
Hallelujah Chorus (arr. Barnes) (1741/1988)
Hallelujah Chorus (arr. Chiaffarelli) (1741/1941)
Hallelujah Chorus (arr. Glover) (1741/2016)
Hallelujah Chorus (arr. Johnson) (1741/1951)
Hallelujah Chorus (arr. Longfield) (1741/1994)
Hallelujah Chorus (arr. Rondeau) (1741/2010)
Hallelujah Chorus (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1741/2013)
Hallelujah Chorus (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Thorp) (1741/2003)
A Handel Celebration (arr. Erickson) (1985)
Handel's Largo (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Brand) (1738/2007)
The Harmonious Blacksmith (arr. Osterling) (1720/1992)
The Harmonious Blacksmith (arr. Syler) (1720/2020)
Hear Me, Ye Winds and Waves (arr. Barrow) (1726/1973)
Hornpipe from the "Water Music" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1717/2012)
Hornpipe from "Water Music Suite" (1717/)
La Rejouissance (arr. Williams) (1749/1996)
La Rejouissance from "Music for the Royal Fireworks" (arr. Seipp) (1749/1994)
Larghetto (arr. Bullock) (1738/1994)
Larghetto (arr. Molenaar) (1739-40/1955)
Largo (arr. Barnes) (1738/1988)
Largo (arr. Fagan) (1738/2004)
Largo (arr. Hautvast) (1738/)
Lascia Ch'io Pianga (arr. Tamura) (1711/2014)
Let Me Weep (arr. Haan) (1711/2004)
March and Gavotte (arr. King) (1705/1956/1990)
Menuet Varié (Clarinet Choir) (arr. Hautvast) (/2011)
Menuet Varié (Saxophone Quartet) (arr. Hautvast) (/2011)
Messiah Overture (arr. Johnson) (1741/1966)
The Music for the Royal Fireworks (arr. Boudreau) (1749/1959)
Music for the Royal Fireworks (arr. Brubaker) (1749/2005)
Music for the Royal Fireworks (arr. Erickson) (1749/1997)
Music for the Royal Fireworks (rescored Hindsley) (1749/197-?)
Music for the Royal Fireworks (ed. Hogwood) (1749/2009)
Music for the Royal Fireworks (arr. Leenhouts) (1749/2021)
The Music for the Royal Fireworks (ed. Mackerras and Baines) (1749/1960)
Music for the Royal Fireworks (ed. Rodenmacher) (1749/)
Music for Two Wind Bands (arr. Schaefer) (1977)
No Shade So Rare (arr. Forsblad) (1738/1999)
An Occasional Suite (arr. Osterling) (1746/1958)
Overture in D Minor (arr. Wüthrich) (1817/1995)
Passacaglia (arr. Longfield) (c. 1720/2014)
Royal Fireworks Music (arr. Sartorius) (1749/1941)
Royal Fireworks Music (arr. Schaefer) (1749/1982)
Sarabande (arr. Daehn) (1703-1706/1733/2004)
Sarabande (arr. Gingery) (1703-1706/1733/1976)
Sarabande (arr. Van Grevenbroek) (1703-1706/1733/2012)
Sarabande (arr. Hautvast) (1703-1706/1733/2004)
See the Conquering Hero Comes (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Brand) (1746/2007)
Slow March from "Scipio"
Song of Jupiter (arr. Anderson) (1743/1952)
Suite from "Messiah" (trans. Curnow) (1741/1989)
A Suite of Baroque Dances (arr. Kinyon) (1979/1995)
Thanks Be to Thee
Three Chorales for Band (with Pasquini and Tchaikovsky; arr. Thornton) (1992/2004)
Three Movement from "Water Music" (arr. Wagner) (1715/2014)
Water Music (arr. Longfield) (1717/1997)
Water Music Suite (arr. Erickson) (1717/1985)
Water Music Suite (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Kanayama) (1717)
Water Music Suite (arr. Kay) (1717/1950)
Zadok the Priest

Resources

Handel, G.; Erickson, F. (1985). Water Music Suite [score]. Belwin Mills: [Melville, N.Y.]
Smith, Norman E. (2002). Program Notes for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, pp. 268.