George Frideric Handel’s George Frideric Handel’s Water Music Not only is George Frideric Handel’s Water Music extraordinarily beautiful, it also helped to establish the orchestral suite as a legitimate art form. Written to be performed outside instead of in a theater, it remains one of the most outstanding compositions in Handel’s catalogue. Even though it is somewhat overplayed, the Water Music continues to be a very popular work of art. By nature of the venue this great work was to be performed in, Handel had to be very original in orchestration. His strong usage of woodwinds and percussion influenced countless composers such as the wind music of Mozart, Holst, Strauss, Beethoven, Vaughn-Williams, and even Stravinsky. Handel’s music proved that he was not only one of the greatest Baroque composers, but he was and is a giant in the history of musical evolution.To fully understand the importance of this work, one must first examine the period and life of the composer. In Europe, the Baroque style dominated from 1600-1750. This particular time focused on the excess of all the arts. Examples of this can be seen in the architecture of this period in countries such as Vienna, France, and England where churches are resplendent and magnificent. Another prime example of the extravagance of this time period is the paintings of William Hogarth, but the most evident excess of style appears in the music of this time frame. During these times, the church had grown extremely powerful and influenced virtually everyone. This was true especially for composers. While secular music had always been written, a composer of this period spent most of his time writing for the church. The most dominant composer of this time is now considered to be J. S. Bach but was doubtfully that in his day. He achieved slightly more than minimal fame. Other composers of the time such as Vivaldi, Telemann, Purcell, and Lully als...
