Countless richly decorated boats following the freshly crowned King George I, and behind him, Georg Friedrich Handel with his 50 musicians and the royal household: on July 17, 1717, the first suite of Handel's famous 'Water Music' was performed in the middle of the Thames. His Majesty took such pleasure in the music of the famous Handel that he had it repeated three times, twice before and once after dinner, although every performance lasted an hour. The boats full of people who wanted to listen were not to be counted.

The 'Water Music' is still one of Händel's most popular works. It is therefore not surprising that the Festival Orchestra Göttingen admitted it into its programme for its 10th anniversary in 2016. Conductor Laurence Cummings followed this arrangement of the single movements, as can be gleaned from recently discovered early sources.

Live recordings: 15 May 2016 (Water Music) & 18 May 2013 (Concerto grosso), Stadthalle Göttingen (Germany)