A photograph reveals Sarah Brooke holding a metal flute, and the emergence of the music at concert pitch immediately confirms that this is indeed a middle-of-the-road performance. Having read NA's brief review of the Consort of London's selection of 'baroque pops' (Collins Classics (CD) EC1017-2, 10/89) I was not surprised by the high quality of their playing in this recording, which happily places the three suites in their optimal order—F, G and D—and wins a few bonus points for so doing. The surprises do not end there: c. 1715 Handel wrote a two-movement Concerto in F, which later appeared, altered and transposed, as two movements in the Water Music (Suite in D); the Consort of London add the original movements, (Overture) and Alla hornpipe, to the end of the Suite in F. They reappear in their proper places and revised forms, at the beginning of the Suite in D.
All this goes unremarked in the minimal annotation, which does however mention that the King was so pleased with what he had heard that he demanded its repetition, twice before and once after supper. A further surprise comes in the description of what sounds remarkably like the second Minuet (Trio) of the Suite in G as a Bourree, separately banded together with the reprise of Minuet I. Differences of opinion as to the speeds and apt titles of the undesignated movements are part of the water-musical game, as they are in this playing of it, but it would be interesting to know by what means this one was arrived at!
Whatever the labels, the products are first class: the tempos seem fitting and comfortable; the Ouverture of the Suite in F is not to be judged by its long playing time—both sections are repeated. The playing of both strings and wind is crisp, spirited and, where called for, full-toned but not overly so—the strings keep plumminess at arm's length; the harpsichord is reduced to a distant tinkle, as it probably was on that summer night in 1717. In terms of style it is admirable, with sharply pointed dotted rhythms, occasional inegales, and some graceful embellishment of the oboe soloist's line in the Adagio e staccato of the Suite in F. In all respects this is the best middle-of-the-road recording of this music to date.'