Vox Orchester – Händel: Alexander’s Feast or The Power of Music (2020) [Official Digital Download 24bit/176,4kHz]

Among the most successful works written by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) in London is his ode “Alexander’s Feast or The Power of Music”. Handel composed this piece as an homage to Saint Cecilia. At its premiere in 1736, 1300 listeners, including the royal family, celebrated Handel’s contrasting, melancholic as well as exciting piece for vocal soloists, choir and orchestra. The Vox Orchester & Chor, that specializes in historical performance practice, presents the complete recording of Handel’s masterpiece under the direction of Lorenzo Ghirlanda. With this album, the young, international cast of the Vox Orchester continues its preoccupation with English Baroque music after its celebrated recording of works by Henry Purcell and Matthew Locke. The solo parts are sung by excellent singers: Marie Sophie Pollak (soprano), Tobias Hunger (tenor) and Krešimir Stražanac (bass baritone). Inspired by the English choral tradition, the Alexander Festival tells the story of the Alexander the Great, who is moved to great deeds by the power of music: The work describes a festival that Alexander the Great gave together with his lover Thaïs in the conquered city of Persepolis. The musician Timotheus sings and plays his lyre, evoking various moods in Alexander, until he is finally inspired to burn down the city.

Tracklist:
1. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: Overture (03:48)
2. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: Andante (02:24)
3. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: ‘T was At The Royal Feast (Recitative) (01:14)
4. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: Happy, Happy, Happy Pair! (Aria) (02:29)
5. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: Happy, Happy, Happy Pair! (Chorus) (02:31)
6. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: Timotheus, Plac’d On High (Recitative) (00:34)
7. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: The Song Began From Jove (Acc.) (00:57)
8. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: The List’ning Crowd (Chorus) (02:11)
9. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: With Ravish’d Ears (Aria) (03:15)
10. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: The Praise Of Bacchus (Recitative) (00:39)
11. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: Bacchus, Ever Fair And Young (Aria) (02:45)
12. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: Bacchus’ Blessings Are A Treasure (Chorus) (02:12)
13. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: Sooth’d With The Sound (Recitative) (00:54)
14. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: He Chose A Mournful Muse (Acc.) (01:16)
15. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: He Sung Darius Great And Good (Aria) (03:03)
16. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: With Downcast Looks (Acc.) (00:51)
17. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: Behold Darius Great And Good (Chorus) (02:41)
18. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: The Mighty Master Smil’d To See (Recitative) (00:38)
19. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: Softly Sweet (Arioso) (03:03)
20. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: War, He Sung, Is Toil And Trouble (Aria) (05:15)
21. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: The Many Rend The Skies (Chorus) (03:55)
22. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: The Prince, Unable To Conceal His Pain (Aria) (05:40)
23. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part I: The Many Rend The Skies (Chorus da Capo) (04:00)
24. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: Now Strike The Golden Lyre (Acc.) (00:57)
25. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: Break His Bands Of Sleep Asunder (Chorus) (01:13)
26. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: Hark Hark! (Acc.) (00:25)
27. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: Revenge, Revenge, Timotheus Cries (Aria) (02:03)
28. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: Behold A Ghastly Band (Largo) (04:04)
29. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: Revenge, Revenge, Timotheus Cries (Aria da Capo) (02:07)
30. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: Give The Vengeance Due (Acc.) (01:40)
31. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: The Princes Applaud With A Furious Joy (Aria) (02:18)
32. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: Thais Led The Way (Aria) (02:47)
33. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: The Princes Applaud (Chorus) (02:25)
34. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: Thus, Long Ago (Acc.) (02:50)
35. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: At Last Divine Cecilia Came (Chorus) (02:58)
36. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: Let Old Timotheus Yield The Prize (Recitative) (00:18)
37. Vox Orchester – Alexander’s Feast, HWV75: Part II: Let Old Timotheus Yield The Prize (Final) (03:50)