Alexander Balus

Synopsis#

Act 1 Alexander claimed the throne of Syria by killing Demetrius the king. Alexander then befriends the Jews and their leader Jonathan Maccabaeus. The king of Egypt, Ptolemee, congratulates Alexander and celebrates his successes by awarding him his daughter, Cleopatra Thea (not the famous Cleopatra of Shakespeare and Handel’s opera Giulio Cesare). The two fall in love. Act 2 Alexander and Cleopatra are married. Alexander is led to believe by a messenger that Jonathan plans to betray him after winning his friendship. It is then revealed that Ptolemee only arranged Alexander and Cleopatra’s marriage to take Alexander’s land and power. He plans to move his troops into Syria under the cover of nightfall to kidnap and kill the young leader. Act 3 Cleopatra is kidnapped by Ptolemee’s ruffians and he intends to force her to marry another man. During Cleopatra’s captivity, Ptolemee tries to break her allegiance to Alexander, but is unsuccessful. Alexander rushes off to war, while Jonathan stays behind, fearing the worst and doubting the power of Alexander’s Syrian gods. Jonathan’s intuition is confirmed when a messenger delivers the news that although they won three battles, Alexander and Ptolemee have been killed. Cleopatra commends herself to the goddess, Isis, and retires to ‘some peaceful shore’. Jonathan reflects on the tragedy, believing that if everyone would have acknowledged the true God, none of this would have happened.

Musical features#

Varied and characterful choruses are a feature of the work, the choruses for the Jews being of a serious and contrapuntal quality, in contrast to the simpler, more down to earth and cheerful choruses for the “Asiates”. In the massive, complex chorus “O calumny”, the chorus comments and moralizes on the action in the manner of choruses in ancient Greek tragedy. The role of Cleopatra is given a series of arias remarkable both for their originality of orchestration and their expressive quality. Her first aria “Hark he strikes the golden lyre” is scored, very unusually, for two flutes, harp and mandolin over a background of pizzicato strings to produce an exotic and exquisite effect. Her final sequence of arias as she hears of her husband’s defeat and death and prepares herself for suicide achieve a power and poignancy equal to that in many more famous operas.

Act 1#

Orchestra *Overture Chorus of Asiates *Flushed with conquest, fir’d by Mithra Alexander *Recit. Thus far ye glorious partners of the war Jonathan *Air. Great Author of this harmony *Recit. And thus let happy Egypt’s king Ptolemee *Air. Thrice happy the Monarch, whom nations contend Cleopatra *Recit. Congratulations to our father’s friend *Air. Hark he strikes the golden lyre Alexander *Recit. Be it my chief ambition there to rise *Air. Fair virtue shall charm me Chorus of Asiates *Ye happy nations round Alexander *Recit. My Jonathan, didst thou mark *Air. Oh what restless charms Cleopatra *Air. Subtle Love, with fancy viewing Aspasia, I know not what to call *Air. How happy should we mortals prove? Aspasia *Recit. Check not the pleasing accent of thy tongue *Air. So shall the sweet attractive smile Cleopatra *Recit. How blissful state Ceopatra/Aspasi *Duet. O, what pleasures, past expressing Jonathan *Recit. Why hangs heavy gloom upon the brow Alexander *Air. Heroes may boast their mighty deeds *Air. Mighty Love now calls to arm Jonathan *Recit. Ye sons of Judah, with high festivals proclaim *Air. Great god, from whom all blessings spring Chorus of Israelites *These are thy gifts, almighty king *To thee let grateful Judah sing

Act 2#

Alexander *Air. Kind Hope, thou universal friend Jonathan *Recit. Long, long and happy live the king Alexander *Air. O Mithra, with thy brightest beams Sycophant Courtier *Stay my dread sovereign Jonathan *Air. Hateful man! Chorus *O calumny, on virtue waiting Cleopatra *Recit. Ah! Whence these dire forebodings of the mind? *Air. Tost from the thought to thought I rove Aspasia *Recit. Give to the winds, fair princess, these vain doubts *Air. Love, glory, ambition Ptolomee *Recit. Thus far my wishes thrive *Air. Virtue, thou ideal name Jonathan *Recit. Ye happy people Jonathan and Chorus *Triumph, Hymen, in the pair Alexander *Recit. Glad time, at length, has reach’d the happy point Cleopatra/Alexander *Duet. Hail, wedded love, mysterious law Chorus of Asiates *Hymen, fair Urania’s son

Act 3#

Orchestra *Sinfonia Cleopatra *Recit. Tis true, instructive nature seldom points *Air. Here amid the shady woods Ruffians/Cleopatra/ *Recit. Mistaken queen! The Gods and Ptolemee Alexander *Recit. Ah! Was it not my Cleopatra’s voice? *Air. Pow’rful guardians of al nature Jonathan *Recit. Treach’ry, o king Alexander *Air. Fury, with red sparkling eyes Asparsia *Recit. Gods! Can there be a more afflicting sight *Air. Strange reverse of human fate Jonathan *Air. The God, who made the radiant sun Chorus of Issaelites *Sun, moon, and stars Ptolomee *Recit. Yes he was false, my daughter *Air. O sword, and thou all-daring hand Cleopatra *Recit. Shall Cleopatra ever smile again? Messenger *Ungrateful tidings to the royal ear Cleopatra *Air. O take me from this hateful light Another Messenger *Forgive, o queen, the messenger of ill Cleopatra *Recit. Calm thy soul, kind Isis *Air. Convey me to some peaceful shore Jonathan *Recit. Mysterious are thy ways, o providence Jonathan and Chorus *Ye servants of th’ eternal King

Instrumentation#

The work is scored for strings, two oboes, two trumpets, two horns, bassoon, two flutes, harp, mandolin, and continuo.

Recording#

With Lynne Dawson soprano, Michael George bass, Catherine Denley alto, Charles Daniels tenor, Claron McFadden soprano, The King’s Consort, Choir of The King’s Consort, New College Choir, Oxford, Robert King. Release date 2010. Hyperion CD:CDA67241/2

External links#

• “Alexander Balus”, information at gfhandel.org
• “Libretto”, Stanford University
• Score of Alexander Balus (ed. Friedrich Chrysander, Leipzig 1870)