Handel : Stuttgarter Kammerorchester / Karl Münchinger – Water Music · Wassermusik · Feuerwerksmusik

Handel – Water Music · Music for the Royal Fireworks

Performed by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra conducted by Karl Münchinger

A regal and celebratory collection of Handel’s most famous orchestral works, this recording brings together the grandeur of Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks - two suites originally composed for royal occasions and outdoor spectacle in 18th-century London.

Water Music, written for a royal barge journey along the River Thames, is presented here in its three suites, full of lively dances, elegant airs, and stately movements. From the majestic overture to the instantly recognisable hornpipes and minuets, the music captures both ceremonial splendour and joyful entertainment.

Music for the Royal Fireworks, composed to celebrate the end of the War of the Austrian Succession, continues this spirit with bold brass writing and festive energy. Its grand overture and triumphant concluding movements evoke the scale and brilliance of a public celebration, performed here with clarity and precision by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra.

The inclusion of the Oboe Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, featuring Lothar Koch, adds a more intimate contrast - showcasing Handel’s gift for melodic writing in a smaller, more lyrical setting.

A vibrant and essential collection of Baroque orchestral music, full of colour, elegance, and historic grandeur.

Tracklist:

Water Music – Suite I in F major (49:14)

1. Overture (Largo – Allegro) – 3:47
2. Adagio e staccato – 2:41
3. Allegro – Andante – 9:02
4. Presto – 2:41
5. Air – 4:11
6. Minuet – 2:54
7. Bourrée – Hornpipe – 1:28
8. Allegro – 3:21

Suite II in G major
9. Minuet – 2:15
10. Rigaudon – 2:55
11. Minuet I, Minuet II, Country Dance – 5:14

Suite III in D major
12. Allegro – 2:04
13. Hornpipe – 3:00
14. Minuet – 1:19
15. Lentement – 1:47
16. Bourrée – 0:30

Music for the Royal Fireworks (16:07)
17. Overture – 7:46
18. Bourrée – 1:09
19. La Paix – 3:23
20. La Réjouissance – 1:21
21. Minuet I – Minuet II – 2:28

Oboe Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major
Oboe: Lothar Koch – 10:06