Fireworks Music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Fireworks Music (also known as Music for the Royal Fireworks) was composed by George Frideric Handel in 1749 under contract of George II of Great Britain for the fireworks in London's Green Park on 27 April 1749. It was to celebrate the end of the War of the Austrian Succession and the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. The catalogue number is HWV351.
The performing musicians were in a specially constructed building which had been designed by Servandoni, a theatre designer. The music provided a background for the royal fireworks. However the display was not as successful as the music. The enormous wood building caught fire due to the fall of the bas relief of George II. However, the music had been performed publicly six days earlier, on 21 April 1749 when there was a full rehearsal of the music at Vauxhall Gardens. Over twelve thousand people, each paying 2s 6d, rushed for it, causing a three-hour traffic jam of carriages over London Bridge. The work is in five movements:
[edit] Instrumentation
It was originally scored for a large ensemble consisting of 24 oboes, 12 bassoons (including a contrabassoon), nine trumpets, nine horns, three pairs of kettledrums, and an unspecified number of side drums. The version most commonly played today was adapted by Handel for the Foundling Hospital, and consists of a more traditional ensemble of strings and winds. [1]
The only extant autograph manuscript is the latter adaptation. In addition to the contrabassoon, the manuscript calls for the serpent to double the bass line. However, at some point, the serpent's name was crossed out. It is not known whether the earliest preformances included the serpent. Even so, it is used in at least one recording of the Royal Fireworks. [2]
[edit] References
- ^ Music for the Royal Fireworks, for orchestra, HWV 351
- ^ Martin Pearlman, in the liner notes to "Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks, Water Music", by the Boston Baroque, for the Telarc label.
