Handel’s Water Music is undoubtedly among his best known and most loved works, but even so Melbourne concert-goers were surprised to find two major concerts featuring the Water Music, within the space of two weeks. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, for all its professionalism and reputation, was challenged to make this a memorable concert – following the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s bursting on to the local music scene last week, also with an all-Handel concert. There were subtle differences: where the ABO played just two of the Suites that comprise the Water Music, the MSO gave us all three – and threw in a counter-tenor for good measure. This was clever programming. David Hansen’s voice, sweet but strong in its attack with two arias from Julius Caesar, thrilled an audience warmed up by the appealing Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. French horn principal Graeme Evans earned applause for his matching of Hansen’s voice in Va tacito, and foreshadowed a concert in which leader Wilma Smith and other ‘solo’ musicians engaged in a pleasing musical dialogue with the full orchestra. Guest musicians, harpsichordist Liz Anderson, theorbo-player Samantha Cohen and recorder-player Greg Dikmans, did much to give this modern orchestra the authentic sound of the Baroque. The Alcina Suite gave Hansen a chance to catch his breath, but he reappeared to close the first half in virtuoso form, the aria Vivi Tirannao from Rodelinda demanding a high strong note immediately dropping an octave. And that was just to begin! Fellow counter-tenor Graeme Pushee once said that ‘the shock of the new’ could occasionally be seen in audience members who were unfamiliar with the unusual pitch of the voice. In my view, Hansen’s performance was notable, not only for its musicality, but also for ‘the shock of the possible’. And the Water Music, which occupied the second half of the concert? Yet more ingenious programming placed the second suite last, allowing the work to finish with the most familiar of Handel’s three suites under this title. It also allowed the trumpets to ring out – the only clear ‘advantage’ over the ABO whose brass period instruments are altogether less reliable in terms of pitch. In the end, concert-goers who had been to both Handel concerts (as I had) would most likely have been more than pleased with both – albeit for slightly different reasons. After all, this is music that has survived centuries of performing and recording – and still emerges a winner. HAMER HALL 2nd – 4th October 2008. www.mso.com.au