Music for the Royal Fireworks facts for kids
Music for the Royal Fireworks is a famous group of five musical pieces. George Frideric Handel composed them in 1749. King George II asked Handel to write this music. The king wanted special music and fireworks. This was to celebrate the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. This treaty was an agreement. It helped end a big war between many European countries.
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The King's Special Request
King George II wanted the celebration in Green Park in London. He had specific ideas for the orchestra. He wanted many military instruments. These included trumpets and drums. He even said he "hoped there would be no violins"!
The king also wanted a rehearsal for the music. This rehearsal would be in Vauxhall Gardens. The public would be able to attend it. Handel was not very happy with these plans. But in the end, he agreed to them.
The Big Rehearsal
The rehearsal in Vauxhall Gardens happened on 21 April. This event was only for the music. There were no fireworks at this rehearsal. A huge crowd of 12,000 people came to listen.
The large number of people caused a big problem. It created a three-hour traffic jam on London Bridge. Tickets to get in cost 2 shillings and 6 pence. This was about 12 ½p in modern money.
The Main Performance
Six days later, the real performance took place. It was held in Green Park. The orchestra played inside a special building. This building was made just for the event. The music played while the fireworks went off.
Unfortunately, something went wrong. There was a disaster during the show. The special building caught fire. This happened when a huge bas relief (a kind of sculpture) of the king fell down. Luckily, no one was hurt in the fire.
The Music's Parts
Handel's music has five main parts, called movements:
- An overture (a grand opening piece)
- A Bourrée (a lively dance)
- A movement called La paix (meaning "The Peace")
- La réjouissance (meaning "The Rejoicing")
- Two minuets (another type of dance)
Instruments Used
Handel wrote the music for a very large orchestra. It included 24 oboes and 12 bassoons. One of the bassoons was a contrabassoon, which plays very low notes. There were also nine trumpets and nine horns. The orchestra also had three pairs of kettledrums. Plus, there were a number of side drums.
On 27 May, Handel conducted the music again. This was for a special concert. It was held for the Foundling Hospital. This time, he used a normal orchestra. It included string instruments and wind instruments. Today, this is how the music is usually played.
Images for kids
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In Spanish: Música para los reales fuegos de artificio para niños
