G.F. Handel – Water Music Suite No. 2 (arranged for guitar ensemble)
George Frideric Handel’s Water Music was composed in 1717 for a grand royal barge procession on the River Thames, commissioned by King George I to affirm his authority and surpass his ambitious heir. The music delighted both the royal court and the public, and was performed four times along the river journey. The event was a tremendous success, solidifying Handel’s reputation and the king’s image of power and elegance.
Suite No. 2, set in the exalted key of D major, was especially regal in character. Its instrumentation—featuring horns and trumpets—was likely performed in antiphonal (call-and-response) style, a hallmark of festive Baroque music.
This arrangement revitalizes Handel’s masterpiece for the modern guitar ensemble, preserving its brilliance while adapting its textures for plucked strings. Created for the 2025 Summer School of the Classical Guitar Society in Sydney, the suite was premiered by a 70-member guitar orchestra in a final concert on January 10th, 2025, at Ascham School, Edgecliff.
A majestic and celebratory addition to the concert repertoire of guitar orchestras.
| Arrangement | Ensemble, Guitar |
| Level | 4 |
| NumberOfPages | 52 |
| Publisher | Les Productions d'OZ |
| Contributors | Handel, G.F.(Composer) Agostino, Janet(Arranger) |
| ISBN | 9782898523670 |