Music for the Royal Fireworks
Handel wrote the music for a large orchestra with 24 oboes, 12 bassoons (including a contrabassoon), nine trumpets, nine horns, three pairs of kettledrums, and a number of side drums. On 27 May Handel conducted the music again at a special concert for the Foundling Hospital. This time he used a normal orchestra with string instruments and wind instruments. This is the way it is usually played today.