Alexander's Feast (Handel)
Alexander's Feast (HWV 75) is an ode in honor of St. Cecilia, for soloists, chorus and orchestra by George Frideric Handel. The English title of the work is: Alexander's Feast or the Power of Musick ( Alexander's feast or the power of music ). The text was adapted from the English poet Newburgh Hamilton after an ode by John Dryden from 1697. The premiere took place on February 19, 1736 under the direction of the composer.
Work history
The composition Handel has probably started at the end of the year 1735. He presented the first part completed on 5 January, the second on January 12, 1736 and then took five days for different revisions.
The premiere took place on February 19, 1736, at Covent Garden Theatre before 1300 listeners instead. Between the acts played the Handel Concerto grosso in C major (HWV 318), which remained associated with the name Alexander's Feast. The vocal soloists were Anna Maria Strada, (soprano), Cecilia Young, soprano, John Beard, tenor, Mr. Erard, bass. A second performance in the presence of the whole court had on 25 February 1736th further performances on the 3rd, 12th and 17th March of the year. Since the time the work was performed almost annually.
During Handel 's lifetime and after the oratory was one of his most popular. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart orchestrated in 1789 by order of the Prefect of the Imperial Court Library in Vienna, Baron Gottfried van Swieten, new ( KV 591 ). Mozart device, however, came only after his death in 1793 for the first time for the performance, but was then in the German language during the 19th century as it were to the standard version.
Mozart's version was in turn both lyrically and musically modified ( by Ignaz von Mosel) adaptation also 1812 in Vienna under the title Timothy or the power of music at a time designated as " Monstre Concert " event with about 600 participants in the Winter Riding School presented, which ultimately represented the impulse to found the Society of friends of Music in Vienna.
Libretto
The siebenstrophige seal Alexander 's Feast - or the Power of Musick -; Ode to St. Cecilia wrote in Honour of John Dryden wrote in 1692 and published it in 1697. Dryden tells about the festival that BC was Alexander the Great after his victory in 330 of the conquered city of Persepolis. This historical fact is narrated by Plutarch.
As the fundamental librettist for Handel's work Newburgh Hamilton is called, whose work but essentially limited to subdivide the seal in recitatives, arias and choruses. Some verses from his own ode The power of Musick from 1720 he added Dryden's poetry, Handel they were not used in all versions.
Even before Alexander 's Feast Dryden wrote another poem in honor of St. Cecilia, the Ode for St. Cecilia. Henry Purcell it set to music in 1692, Handel wrote in 1739 about the seal his Ode for St. Cecilia 's Day.
Media
- * GF Handel (arr. Mozart / Mosel): Timothy or the power of music ( Concentus Musicus Wien, Vienna Singing Club - Nikolaus Harnoncourt )