Alexander's Feast: A dream realized

HANDEL’s ALEXANDER’S FEAST, or THE POWER OF MUSICK

By Elizabeth Aisling Flygare

I am a writer, a poet, an artist, a devotee of choral music, a by-ear musician (piano, guitar and fretted dulcimer) and a former part-time organist in the Episcopal Church. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in art with several hours beyond a minor in music, and I was a paraprofessional librarian and music selector for our local public library for 35 years. One of the joys of my career was that in the beginning, we were encouraged to listen to music on the job! It was then, in 1977, that I discovered the Alfred Deller recording of Alexander’s Feast.

I was familiar with most of Mr. Handel’s choral works, but this one was new to me. I took it home and fell instantly in love with the gorgeous melodies, the soaring harmonies, the hilarity of “Drinking is the Soldier’s Pleasure,” (as I listened to this music while writing and swilling wine), and the sheer bliss of finding out that this was an ode in honor of St. Cecilia. The words of John Dryden, combined with the heartrending Handel melodies and the opulent choruses, filled this incurable romantic with absolute bliss. I declared, at age 27, that this was my favorite choral work, and that one of my life’s goals would be to hear it performed live.

Fast forward to 2016. Last week, at age 66, I finally realized the dream on my bucket list when my closest friend and I attended the performance of Alexander’s Feast by the Music of the Baroque Chorus and Orchestra. It was held in the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house.  I did notice how cramped the balcony seats were, but I was too immersed in the experience to care. I had long ago given up hope that it would ever be done in the United States, and this event was two hours from our home! I still can’t believe I truly was there, and that I had the privilege of experiencing such a stellar performance. It exceeded my expectations.

My first observance, and question, has to do with my good friend Liz Cifani. We’ve been out of touch far too long; I gather she has retired as principal harpist for the Lyric Opera. Marguerite Lynn Williams is a worthy successor. Her playing is lyrical, her phrasing flawless, her performance impeccable and her skill seemingly effortless. Now, I must look up Liz and find out what she’s up to these days.

Softly Sweet, in Lydian Measures was listed in the program as a soprano solo; in this concert, it was performed by a tenor. I revisited Alfred Deller’s recording and he does not make his Hitchcockian appearance here; he, too, used a soprano soloist. Why the change? It did sound appropriate at the Music of the Baroque performance, but I was a bit surprised.

After the concert, a very kind woman named Jen More let me have access to someone affiliated with the chorus for a brief exchange. Jen also told me that the Music of the Baroque uses the Barenreiter edition of Alexander’s Feast. I am going to try to get my hands on it. In the meantime, I’ve been listening to the five recordings I own of this masterpiece. Each is different; even the performance in Skokie was different. I gather there have been countless discussions and debates, over the decades, concerning the “right” way to approach this music. It fascinates me to hear each interpretation.

-Alfred Deller’s version completely omits the harp concerto, Your Voices Tune and any form of Let’s imitate her notes above. Thais Led the Way is sung with a slur on the first two notes; I believe the Music of The Baroque soprano treated the first note as dotted with the tie between the second and third notes. (I was jarred by this!) Deller’s version ends with a festive rendering of Let Old Timotheus, ending with the triumphant, emotional She Drew an Angel Down.  Honor Sheppard’s singing is sumptuous. This is the version I have loved throughout my adulthood, and I thought it would be a hard act to follow. Incidentally, the Novello Handel Edition score, edited by Donald Burrows, insists that “Thais” should be pronounced “They-iss”, and that is how the Deller Consort pronounces it. (They also use “Tie-motheus”; it seems the preferred pronunciation uses a short vowel, as in Timothy).

-Harry Christophers - The Sixteen provided my second exposure to Alexander’s Feast.  I had to get used to the bouncy tempo after years of Deller’s stately interpretation. The harp concerto is restored after the recitative Timotheus placed on high, as in the performance by Music of the Baroque. However, this recording omits the soprano and alto duet Let’s Imitate her notes above. Immediately after Let Old Timotheus/She Drew an Angel Down (which I thought was going to be the ending.) Handel’s Organ Concerto # in G Minor is inserted! Following the concerto, the piece concludes with hymnlike, majestic choruses: a setting of Your Voices Tune which segues into Let’s imitate her notes above. The Christophers version ends the work with the words: “Sacred to harmony, Sacred to Love. It is beautiful, but not tear-jerking, as I think I should be!

-John Eliot Gardiner/The Monteverdi Choir’s reissued Decca recording is similar to what I heard Sunday night at the Music of The Baroque concert. This recording is live, and features period instruments. Interestingly, a countertenor sings Softly Sweet. The harp concerto is omitted; however, the Alexander’s Feast Concerto Grosso in C for is placed between parts one and two. The singing is graceful, but a bit too staccato for my taste. The ending sequenced as Music of the Baroque did it;  after the Grand Chorus At last divine Cecilia came, along comes the recitative Your Voices Tune, (but with a countertenor), followed by the duet, sung by a soprano and a countertenor. There is no choral setting of Your Voices Tune. Let old Timotheus-----She drew an angel down concludes the recording. Unfortunately, and my opinion here, the choir lowers its volume for She Drew an angel down, making the ending reverent and serene rather than triumphant. It’s lovely, but I missed the drama to which I’m accustomed at the conclusion. It is lauded by many as the “must have” Alexander’s Feast. I was fortunate enough to find a copy of this rare CD on Amazon. There’s a bootleg copy on YouTube, but it’s too long to download using an online video to mp3 converter to get the audio, so you have to download it as an mp4 instead and have a way to convert it if you want to put it in Amazon Music. They accept only MP3s for uploading. The YouTube video doesn’t give a numbered list of the descriptions of each track—what you get is one continuous 1:38:22 track. Very spare recording, nicely done, nirvana for purists. I am glad I was able to buy it.

-Sir Philip Ledger’s 2002 remastered version with the English Chamber Orchestra and the King’s College Choir is very interesting indeed, not to mention that it has the best Bacchus. It deletes the harp concerto, as does Deller’s version, and does not include the organ concerto oddly placed toward the end of Harry Christophers’ version. Softly Sweet is sung by a soprano. As in Deller’s version, Thus Long ago segues into the chorus At Last the Divine Cecilia came, and this is not noted on the album liner notes; they share a track. Following is the recitative and the chorus of Let Old Timotheus/She Drew and Angel Down, after which is inserted the recitative Your voices tune. Next is the soprano/alto duet Let’s Imitate Her Notes Above. Following this is that gorgeous choral version of Your Voices Tune, which segues into the choral setting of Let’s Imitate/Sacred to harmony, Sacred to Love. But that’s not the grand finale! The Choce of Hercules, which has been thought of by some scholars as the original third part of Alexander’s Feast, is included. On the Ledger CD, we are treated to the entire thing – all twelve tracks. This is probably my favorite version of AF, other than Deller.

-Nikolaus Harnoncourt Concentus Musicus, discovered while I was writing this:

Saving the best for last. The online reviews of this astounding version do it more justice than I ever could. I found it on YouTube and downloaded the entire video. It is a live performance and it is spectacular. I have also extracted the audio and converted it to mp3. Some CDs are available on Amazon at various prices; I may cave, but it doesn't have the "Your Voices Tune" chorus. So - I will probably stay with Ledger.
 This is the bare-bones information I have:

·         Posted on the YouTube page:

o   George Frideric Handel [Georg Friedrich Händel]
Alexander's Feast Oratorio composed in 1736
Concentus Musicus Wien conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Dorothea Röschmann, soprano; Michael Schade, tenor; Gerard Finley, baritone
0:00 Overture
7:41 Happy Pair
14:24 The list'ning Crowd
16:40 With ravish'd ears
20:35 Bacchus, ever fair and Young
27:15 He sung Darius Great and Good
34:12 Softly sweet
37:15 War, he sung, is toil and trouble
42:08 The many rend the skies
46:15 The Prince, unable to conceal
56:37 Now strike the Golden Lyre
59:21 Revenge
1:08:58 The Princes applaud
1:11:08 Thais lead the way
1:15:50 Thus long ago
1:22:04 Let old Timotheus yield the Prize

The expressions on the conductor’s face are so radiant, intense and energizing! I can feel the music with him, right into my bones. He is completely in flow, as is the chorus. I have yet to sit down and savor my treat in its entirety, but I will provide the URL for anyone who wants to experience the sublime:Harnoncourt's live performance of Alexander's Feast

Oh, and yes, it ends with She drew an Angel Down.

I suspend all intellect, critical expertise or lack thereof, nitpicking analysis, observations of pronunciation, sequences, the inclusions and exclusions, and the gender of the Softly Sweet singer. Even with the snippets I sampled, I was in that space surely as I sat, sober as a judge, in my cramped seat at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts balcony this past Sunday night and was transformed. Thank you, Music of the Baroque, for an experience I shall never forget.