AMERICAN HANDEL SOCIETY RECORDING PRIZE 1997 'This is a landmark in recording history ... Self-recommending, I think' (The Sunday Times) 'All Handelians will want this set' (Gramophone) 'An outstanding recording … an enthralling experience' (Choir & Organ) 'A winner … one of those experiences where you know almost from the first chord that an enjoyable and rewarding evening lies ahead of you. The cast is on top form' (Early Music) 'A very well sung and very welcome appearance of one of Handel's most rarely performed works … For her [Lynne Dawson] interpretation alone the recording is worth buying' (Classic CD) 'We may be grateful that yet another glory has been restored by Robert King and his accomplished forces' (The Times) 'King and his musicians approach the piece with vitality and affection and, in so doing, carried me along from start to finish' (BBC Music Magazine) 'Lynne Dawson y rayonne en princesse meurtrie; Catherine Denley trouve ice l'un de ses meilleurs emploie. Bel et bon orchestre, choeur impeccable. Pour quelques grands moments et tout un acte de béatitude, tendez les deux oreilles à Alexander Balus' (Diapason, France) 'The set deserves a warm welcome from all Handelians' (Hi Fi News) 'A landmark in discographic history. We must be grateful for so splendid a debut recording. All the soloists are excellent' (American Record Guide) ------------------------------ Alexander Balus brings to completion The King's Consort's series of Handel's four 'military' oratorios (the other three being Judas Maccabaeus, The Occasional Oratorio, and Joshua). The story is a somewhat embellished retelling of chapters 10 and 11 from the first book of the Apocryphal Maccabees and involves complicated intrigues between the Jews, Syrians and Egyptians in the second century BC. To cut a long story short, Alexander Balus, King of Syria, is eventually defeated in battle by Ptolomee of Egypt and then killed by an Arab; but Ptolomee himself dies just three days later allowing Jonathan, the Chief of the Jews, to remind us of the fate of those who do not believe in the One God. Musically, Handel is at his very best in this piece. Much of the composition occurred simultaneously with that for Joshua and there is, typically, a small amount of material recycled from earlier works. The Third Act, where Cleopatra is not only told (maliciously) by her father that her beloved Alexander has been faithless, but is also then informed of his death, sees some extraordinary aria-writing, at times reminiscent of 'Dido's Lament'.