G. F. Händel: Water Music & Music for the Royal Fireworks
Collegium 1704, Václav Luks

When the “Water Music” was performed for the first time in 1717 at a royal celebration with a large boat parade on the Thames, its patron, King George I of Great Britain and Ireland, was so enthusiastic that the young Handel had to repeat it several times. It is rousing, catchy, graceful, and jubilant all at once – a triumphant success, even today. The popular “Music for the Royal Fireworks” is a suite composed for wind instruments for the fireworks in London’s Green Park on 27 April 1749, celebrating the end of the War of the Austrian Succession and the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen) in 1748.

In the beautiful setting of Slavkov Castle, a baroque palace in Slavkov u Brna, Czech Republic, which is mostly known for the historic Battle of Austerlitz, both works were filmed with Collegium 1704, one of the most successful ensembles specializing in historical performance in Europe under the musical direction of Václav Luks. The music is accompanied by scenes of baroque fireworks as well as water fountains to underline the themes of both pieces.