Alexanders Feast (HWV 75) is an ode with music by George Frideric Handel set to a libretto by Newburgh Hamilton. Hamilton adapted his libretto from John Drydens ode Alexanders Feast, or the Power of Music (1697) which had been written to celebrate Saint Cecilias Day. Jeremiah Clarke (whose score is now lost) set the original ode to music. Handel composed the music in January 1736, and the work received its premiere at the Covent Garden Theatre, London, on 19 February 1736. In its original form it contained three concertos: a concerto in B flat major in 3 movements for Harp, Lute, Lyrichord and other Instruments HWV 294 for performance after the recitative Timotheus, placd on high in Part I; a concerto grosso in C major in 4 movements for oboes, bassoon and strings, now known as the Concerto in Alexanders Feast HWV 318, performed between Parts I and II; and an organ concerto HWV 289 in G minor and major in 4 movements for chamber organ, oboes, bassoon and strings performed after the chorus Let old Timotheus yield the prize in Part II. The organ concerto and harp concerto were published in 1738 by John Walsh as the first and last of the Handel organ concertos Op.4. Handel revised the music for performances in 1739, 1742 and 1751. Donald Burrows has discussed Handels revisions to the score.[1][2] The work describes a banquet held by Alexander the Great and his mistress Thaïs in the captured Persian city of Persepolis, during which the musician Timotheus sings and plays his lyre, arousing various moods in Alexander until he is finally incited to burn the city down in revenge for his dead Greek soldiers. The piece was a great success and it encouraged Handel to make the transition from writing Italian operas to English choral works. The soloists at the premiere were the sopranos Anna Maria Strada and Cecilia Young, the tenor John Beard, and a bass called Erard (first name unknown). https://youtube/watch?v=AOEuMDeZq6U
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 19:27:47 +0000
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