Handel's 'Water Music' premiered on a barge floating down the River Thames.

On July 17, 1717, King George I and several aristocrats boarded a royal barge at Whitehall Palace for an excursion toward Chelsea. This event was a calculated political move by the King to reclaim public attention from his son, the Prince of Wales. George Frideric Handel was commissioned to provide the soundtrack for this high-profile journey.The orchestra consisted of approximately 50 musicians who traveled on a separate city barge. Because the performance took place outdoors on a moving river, Handel had to account for acoustic challenges. He utilized a large number of brass instruments, including horns and trumpets, along with woodwinds and strings to ensure the sound carried across the water.The Daily Courant, London's first daily newspaper, reported that the music was so well-received that the King demanded it be played twice before supper and once after. This meant the musicians performed for nearly four hours as they rowed against the tide. The suite is now considered one of the most famous examples of Baroque orchestral music.Handel's 'Water Music' is actually a collection of three suites containing about 22 movements in total. The instrumentation was revolutionary for its time, particularly the prominent use of French horns, which were relatively new to the English orchestra. This performance cemented Handel's status as a favorite of the British monarchy.