New Year, 2018

January 1, 2018. Happy New Year! Best wishes to all our listeners in 2018 and lots of good Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, January music! While we cannot think of any classical composition written specifically to celebrate theNew Year, its arrival is clearly associated with fireworks, and what could be better fireworks music than George Frideric Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks? The occasion for which Handel composed his famous suite was quite different (the end of the War of the Austrian Succession) but we don’t mind. Herer is it, gloriously performed by the Academy of St. Martin in the Field under the direction of Neville Marriner.

The picture to the left is January, from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, an illuminated manuscript created by the Limbourgh Brothers at the beginning of the 15^th century. The members of the Duke’s household are exchanging New Years’ gifts.