MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Handel: Water Music

"It is highly unlikely that George I ever witnessed performances matching up to this one."
Nicholas Anderson, Gramophone, January 1984, reviewing the Water Music

"A radiant catherine-wheel of a performance"
Nicholas Anderson, Gramophone, August 1985, reviewing the Fireworks Music

"For those wanting a performance on original instruments, Pinnock's version on DG Archiv is very enticing. Speeds are consistently well chosen and are generally uncontroversial. One test is the famous Air, which here remains an engagingly gentle piece. The recording is beautifully balanced and clear, but with bloom on the sound." (Water Music)***

"Pinnock does not attempt to compete with the outdoor performances, complete with added effects, except in spirit. He uses four flutes (for La Paix), three each of horns, trumpets, oboes and bassoons, and twenty-odd string players. The playing has tremendous spirit and zest, and for those wanting a period-instrument version this is not only the safest but the best recommendation. The DG recording is among the finest Archiv has given us, sounding excellent on CD" (Fireworks)***
The New Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and Cassettes, 1988