Music For Horns

This is a transcription of the best known movements (by horn players) from all three of Handel’s Water music suites, the Allegro from Suite no.1 in F major. Premiered in 1717 at a concert for King George I, after Handel had emigrated to England, the concert was a huge success with the royalty, and with concert audiences ever since.

Walsh’s arrangement contains all the essential parts, and it is both challenging and rewarding to play (in a similar fashion to the orchestral version). Walsh introduces contrast into the piece by alternating between open and muted signals (the open ones being the horns, and the muted ones the strings). This requires several quick mute changes ad some hand stopping. It is a convincing arrangement, with only one oddity: due to the restriction in numbers, several of the bars containing the characteristic motif also have the downbeat, which requires some attention to not phrase the wrong way,