Music for the Royal Fireworks, HWV 351 (Fireworks Music; Concerto Grosso No. 26) [0.3.0.2: 3.3.0.0:

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was contracted to write Music for the Royal Fireworks, HWV 351 in 1749 by George II of Great Britain to be performed in London's Green Park on April 27 of that year as a celebration for the end of the War of the Austrian Succession. The suite was originally written entirely for wind instruments, as King George preferred only military instruments and expressed a desire that there be "no fiddles," so Handel reluctantly omitted the strings. The original wind band scoring consisted of 24 oboes, 12 bassoons and a contrabassoon, nine natural trumpets, nine natural horns, three timpani, and side drums, who were directly to play "ad libitum" as Handel wrote nothing for them. Handel re-scored the work for orchestra for a performance on May 27, 1749, at the Foundling Hospital, although the demand for the large winds remained. This edition of the orchestral score was completed by Max Seiffert in 1886 and was published as part of the Handel-Gesellschaft under Friedrich Chrysander. Instrumentation: 0.3.0.2: 3.3.0.0: Timp: Str (4-4-3-3-3 in set) (composer calls for tripling and quadrupling of wind parts).