Search - Sir Philip Ledger :: Handel: Alexander's Feast; The Choice of Hercules

A voice teacher and early music fan

George Peabody | Planet Earth | 05/18/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A DYNAMIC DUO FROM KING'S, CAMBRIDGE.



Cambridge has been instrumental in the promotion of Handel's Oratorios and Operas as great drama. Moreover, they have played a crucial role in the development in the period instrument as well as producing the finest English freelance singers. All of these elements are clearly in the forefront of these two fine recordings by Philip Ledger. Both works were made in King's College during his sojourn (1974-1982). These two performances were extracted from a box set that included 'Saul', which is no longer available, that is not easily, anyway.



"Alexander's Feast" or 'The Power of Music' is based on an ode by John Dryden to celebrate St. Cecelia, the patroness of music. The plot concerns a feast given by Alexander the Great after his defeat of Darius, King of Persia. The musical allegory is enhanced by the inclusion of the legandary singer, Timotheus (Thomas Allen,baritone), who has come to entertain him, but intentionally arouses various emotions in Alexander, before being replaced by St.Cecelia. The comparison between the two singers form the climax of the work.



Although there is little dramatic development, its picturesque imagery allowed Handel to produce a superbly varied score that includes such famous selections as 'Bacchus ever Fair', sung by Allen, and 'Revenge Timotheus Cries'; Allen's performance of the latter is everything a lover of this work can desire! Allen is an intelligent Handel singer, and it shows!



'Alexander's Feast' has great musical variety including mega choruses and arias of considerable imagination and beauty; not too many da capo arias. The chorus herein presents a well-balanced delivery with clear-voiced and flexible boy sopranos and smooth-toned male altos as is usual with this Choir. Almost every choral number slows down to a great climax. The sopranos, Helen Donath and Sally Burgess are obviously accomplished in this genre BUT their pitch on some of the higher notes is questionable and they are somewhat liberal with vibrato. The English Chamber Orchestra are precise and very aware of the texture of Handel's music. Ledger's direction is far from dull; each aria and chorus is convincing regarding its poetry and context. Thanks to the nave of King's College Chapel, Ledger is able to produce a performance with a rich resonant sound. While I have enjoyed this performance for years, I defer to Gardiner's 1987 recording of this work; it has more 'pizazz' in the choral aspect; could be partly because his tempos are more upbeat.



In the summer of 1750 Handel connected some previously unused music in "The Choice of Hercules". It is an allegorical tale in which the young Hercules(countertenor, James Bowman), on the brink of manhood, is obliged to choose between competing personifications of Pleasure(sop Heather Harper) and Virtue(mezzo Helen Watts), eventually opting for Vitue in which he would receive Eternal Life. One must assume the outcome since it is not stated in the Libretto.



'The Choice of Hercules' made with the Academy of St. Martin in-the-fields in 1974, actually sounds 'fresher' than 'Alexander' which was made in 1978. This may be,in part, because the Orchestra seems to be more sympathetic to some of Handel's most congenial scoring; there are sweet flutes in the opening introduction and lively horns in the ensuing aria 'There the Brisk Sparkling Nectar' sung skillfully by Harper, albeit, a bit heavy for Handel.



In comparing the lead character Hercules, played dramatically herein by Bowman, to Robin Blaze in the 2000 King's Consort disc of this work, Blaze falls short in his dramatic intensity, especially in his final aria "Lead Goddess, Lead the Way". One would think that he is choosing the flavor of an ice cream cone instead of Eternal Life as opposed to death. However, having said that, I must also say that Blaze is an excellent countertenor; he just performs better in works that do not require a great outpouring of emotion.



'The Choice of Hercules' is, in effect, a one-act dramatic cantata in English, and as such, it is unique in Handel's output. I have two discs of each of these works, and I play whichever my psyche requires at the moment!"