Water Music (this time, for George II of Great Britain for the fireworks in London's Green Park, on 27 April 1749), has often been paired with the "Water Music" on recordings. Water Music The Water Music is a collection of orchestral movements, often published as three suites, composed by George Frideric Handel. It premiered on 17 July 1717, in response to King George I's request for a concert on the River Thames. The "Water Music" is scored for a relatively large orchestra, making it suitable for outdoor performance. The "Water Music" opens with a French overture and includes minuets, bourrées and hornpipes.
The Royal Opera were, according to the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung", "beside themselves with enthusiasm". In 1968, on the recommendation of the Home Secretary, James Callaghan, the Queen conferred the title "The Royal Opera" on the company. It was the third stage company in the UK to be so honoured, following the Royal Ballet and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Webster retired in June 1970. The music critic Charles Osborne wrote, "When he retired, he handed over to his successor an organization of which any opera house in the world might be proud. No memorial could be more appropriate". The successor was Webster's former assistant,