For the magnificent opening of his oratorio season at the beginning of 1736, Handel presented a composition which, more than almost any other of his oratorio works, gave him the opportunity to showcase his musical artistry: John Dryden's ode "Alexander's Feast or the Power of Music", published in 1696, demonstrates the power of music using the example of the ancient hero Alexander the Great. In the text added at the end by Newburg Hamilton, St. Cecilia ultimately exaggerates the ancient pagan events, expressed by Handel in vividly artistic polyphony. This new edition is the first to be consistently based on the conductor's score which Handel used for his own performances, thus not only eliminating some traditional errors, but also providing clarity about the choruses, arias and recitatives actually performed and their order. The edition offers two alternative performable versions: The version of the first performance in 1736 and a version of 1751 revised by the composer. In addition, it is possible to include the harp concerto HWV 294 (Carus 55.294), which Handel composed especially for the first performance of "Alexander's Feast".
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