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.
Air (music)
By the 18th century, composers wrote airs for instrumental ensembles without voice. These were song-like, lyrical pieces, often movements in a larger composition. Johann Sebastian Bach composed two of the best known airs: the second movement of his "Suite No. 3 in D major", BWV 1068, which August Wilhelmj arranged for violin and piano as "Air on the G String"; and the theme of his "Goldberg Variations", BWV 988, the Air present also in Partitas BWV 825–830 harpsichord. The fifth movement of George Frideric Handel's "Suite in F Major", HWV 348, part of Handel's "Water Music" collection, is another frequently performed air.