Alexander's Feast, an Ode on Saint Cecilia's Day - Handel, George Frideric 1685-1759; Hamilton, Newburgh 1691-1761; Dryden, John 1631-1700 (London Arnold, 1790)
Händel's Ode 'Alexander's Feast' (HWV 75) is set to a libretto by Newburgh Hamilton. Hamilton adapted his libretto from John Dryden's ode Alexander's Feast, or the Power of Music (1697) which had been written to celebrate Saint Cecilia's Day. Jeremiah Clarke (whose score is now lost) set the original ode to music.
The work describes a banquet held by Alexander the Great and his mistress Thaïs in the captured Persian city of Persepolis, during which the musician Timotheus sings and plays his lyre, arousing various moods in Alexander until he is finally incited to burn the city down in revenge for his dead Greek soldiers.
Enoch Hawkens (1793-1847) (07A20 Ex Libris ) was a famous singer (countertenor) in the 1830ies and 1840ies
07A20 is bound in with' An Ode or Serenata for the Birth Day of Queen Ann. Composed in the Year 1736'
Contains a List of Subscribers (after page 141).
07A20 Ex Libris Enoch Hawkins (Plate)
Keywords: 18th Century (1701-1800); Vocal music; United Kingdom