Royal Fireworks

Yuriy Bekker returns to the masterworks stage February 1 and 2 as both conductor and soloist for an explosive program, featuring Handel’s famous Royal Fireworks. Written to celebrate the end of the War of Austrian Succession, this orchestral suite was first performed for a large outdoor crowd in London, including King George II. The music was accompanied, of course, by an impressive display of fireworks, and reportedly caused a three-hour traffic jam on the London Bridge during its premiere. The performance takes place at the Charleston Gaillard Center.