Music for the Royal Fireworks
George Frideric Handel, arr. Ben Tordoff
Composed:
1749 Arranged:
2023 Grouping:
sSSAAATTTBBb Duration:
04:00
Although the UK normally associated fireworks with the 5th November, Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks was commissioned for a fireworks celebration in April 1749. King George II insisted Handel use only military instruments so the original version features only wind instruments and percussion. Later versions added strings.
Here we present the final three movements, starting with the Réjouissance ("rejoicing") fanfare, then the quiter first minuet, ending with the stately final minuet. Each movement repeats its themes first on Bb instruments then on Eb, with the finale bringing everyone together.
© 2023 Ben Tordoff
If you enjoyed this piece, have comments or corrections, we'd love to hear from you.
This music is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Licence.