Alexander's Feast Or The Power Of Musick. An Ode Wrote In Honour Of St. Cecilia By Mr. Dryden . With The Recitativo's, Songs, Symphonys And Chorus's For Voices & Instruments. Together, With The Cantata, Duet, And Songs, As Perform'd At The Theatre Royal, In Covent Garden. Publish'd By The Author. [Hwv 75 And 89]. [Full Score] Handel, George Frideric 1685-1759 New Arrivals,Printed Music

Tall folio. Full modern ivory vellum with mid-tan leather ties, titling gilt to spine, all edges gilt with decorative gilt stamping. 1f. (recto title, verso blank), [ii] (list of subscribers), 166, 168-190, [i] (blank), 192-193 pp. Engraved throughout. Neat contemporary corrections and annotations, including additional figurings to pp. 1, 33, 43, 47, 52-3, 64, 77, 90, 92, 102, 123, 129, 133 and 158. Several leaves with textual insertions in a later hand. The 124 subscribers include seven members of the Royal Family, various members of high society, and people in Handel's circle such as Charles Jennens and John Christopher Smith. Binding slightly worn, soiled, and stained; partial loss to ties. Occasional minor soiling and staining. Lacking publisher's catalogue found in some copies following the final page of music. First Edition, first issue. Smith p. 90, no. 1. BUC p.432. Hoboken 5, 132. RISM H994 (not distinguishing among issues). Alexander's Feast, with text by the celebrated English poet John Dryden (1631-1700) and additions by Newburgh Hamilton, was first performed in London at Covent Garden on 19 February 1736. "That Handel's imagination was profoundly stirred cannot be doubted, and is not surprising in view of the subject . and the clarity, concrete imagery, and well-placed climaxes of Dryden's poem. But the fact that the only work with English words (other than two or three occasional anthems) composed during a period when he was staking all on Italian opera should have been this glowing masterpiece is psychologically revealing ." Dean: Handel's Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, p. 273 One of Handel's most expressive and influential oratorios.