La Rejouissance from 'Music for the Royal Fireworks'
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La Rejouissance
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About This Work
"La Rejouissance" from Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks" is a short, joyous piece that is ideally suited for Brass Quintet. Arranged by Geoff Kingston this is ideal for Weddings, recitals or processional, recessional music.
MUSIC FOR THE ROYAL FIREWORKS
Commissioned for a celebration of the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1749, Music for the Royal Fireworks served as the accompaniment for the evening's primary spectacle: a grand fireworks display in Greens Park. Artisans and pyrotechnicians were summoned from all over Europe in preparation for the affair, and Jean-Nicholas Servan, the supervisor of machinery and stage design at the Paris Opera, constructed an immense Doric-style edifice that served as the stage for the display. Complete with steps, pillars, and passageways, the 410-foot building boasted images of Greek gods, a bas-relief of King George II, and a 200-foot pole bearing an allegorical representation of the sun. According to Gentleman's Magazine, the overblown architectural trappings matched the size of the crowd perfectly: the 12,000 onlookers who attended a public rehearsal "occasioned such a stoppage on London Bridge, that no carriage could pass for three hours."
Despite the music's success, its composition wasn't without controversy. George II initially resisted the idea of music altogether, finally agreeing only on the grounds that it would be "martial musick" with "no fidles." Handel had other ideas, however. As the Duke of Montague anxiously reported to the event's impresario, "Handel proposes to lessen the number of trumpets, &c. and to have violins. I don't at all doubt but when the King hears it he will be very much displeased." For the Fireworks' first version, the wishes of the king prevailed. The work is originally scored for "martial" instruments alone: 24 oboes, 12 bassoons, two contrabassoons, two cornets, nine trumpets, nine horns, three timpani, and two side-drums. The notoriously stubborn composer refused to abandon his own desires completely, however, rescoring the piece in the orchestral version most well-known today for a benefit concert later in the year.
| Composer | George Friederic Handel |
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| Arranger | Geoff Kingston |
| Category | Brass Quintet |
| Duration | Circa 2 mins |
| Difficulty | This piece has difficulty rating of 3 on a scale one through 6, with 6 being the hardest. Click here to see how we grade our band sets. |
| Instrumentation | 1st Bb Trumpet 2nd Bb Trumpet Horn in F Tenor Trombone Additional Parts Eb Horn Bb Trombone Bb Bass |
| Parts Supplied | For a full list of parts supplied under our free postage scheme, please visit FAQ's. |
| Catalogue No. |
Product Code: SM0358
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