When George Frideric Handel composed his Water Music (Wassermusik) in 1717, he was fulfilling a royal commission for a ceremonial barge ride up the River Thames. His three-part suite, which nodded to popular dances like the English hornpipe, was such a hit that King George I demanded repeat performances, including on the trip downriver.
What neither the composer nor the crown could have anticipated was a “water music” that actually imbues water with the properties of music — an idea about to materialize in the heart of Philadelphia. Stroll by Dilworth Park at City Hall over the next month and you’ll encounter Water Orchestra, which turns the plaza’s fountain into a responsive instrument, activated by the gestures of whoever stands on a conductor’s podium.
After a ceremonial opening performance on Sept. 5, the interactive installation, which runs through Oct. 3, will be free and open to the public. (Conducting will be limited to two-minute intervals: enough to get through one of Handel’s bourrée movements, if that’s your sort of thing.)
And on Sept. 11 at 2 p.m., Yannick Nézet-Séguin will step onto the Water Orchestra podium, joined by musicians from The Philadelphia Orchestra, for a special performance. (As a prelude to its 125th anniversary celebration, The Philadelphia Orchestra has also recorded a curated soundtrack for the installation.)
Water Orchestra is a project of the experiential design studio Ottomata, the urban installation firm Atomic3, and the public art company Wireframe, all based in Montréal, where the installation made its first appearance several years ago. Fittingly, inspiration for the work came partly from “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” a section of Walt Disney’s 1940 film Fantasia — in which Mickey Mouse conducts a cosmic display, along with a brigade of bucket-carrying brooms. This segment was developed in consultation with Leopold Stokowski, who conducted The Philadelphia Orchestra for the film’s score, and even suggested “Fantasia” as its title.
“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” the symphonic poem by French composer Paul Dukas, will be part of the installation soundtrack (in a recording by the Philadelphians, of course). More information about Water Orchestra will be available soon, including details about a guest conductor series, pop-up performances from youth and community ensembles, and other programming.
