The Choice of Hercules(Handel)

This article is about Handel's one-act oratorio that premiered in 1751. For Handel's three-act oratorio that premiered in 1745, seeHercules (Handel).

The Choice of Hercules
OratoriobyGeorge Frideric Handel
Handel portrayed byBalthasar Denner,1729
Catalogue	HWV69
Year	1750(1750)
Text	derived from "Choice of Hercules" by Robert Lowth
Language	English
Based on	Choice of Hercules
Performed	1 March 1751(1751-03-01):LondonRoyal Opera House
Movements	24

The Choice of Hercules(HWV69) is anoratorioin one act (three scenes) byGeorge Frideric Handel.Handel produced the score between 28 June and 5 July 1750. The first performance was given on 1 March 1751 at theCovent Garden Theatre,LondonwithCecilia Youngas Virtue,Isabella Youngas Hercules, andThomas Loweas attendant. Thelibrettois derived from the poem (1743) of Robert Lowth but revised, probably, byThomas Morell.

The story centres on theChoice of Hercules,in which the youthful Hercules must decide between the paths of pleasure and virtue. These are represented by two women who present their various arguments to Hercules, and his confusion is articulated in the trioWhere shall I go?.The classical myth of "the choice of Hercules," as told by the 5th-century Athenian sophist Prodicus (XenophonMemorabilia2.1.21-34), anticipates that Hercules will choose to follow Virtue's path. And, indeed, the Chorus sings ( Chorus, 24) that "Virtue will place thee in that blest abode, Crown'd with immortal youth, Among the gods a god!"

The character of The Attendant on Pleasure is introduced into this version of theChoice of Herculesand complicates Hercules' choice (Air, 16).

A typical performance takes almost 50 minutes.

The work includes the notableariaYet can I hear that dulcet lay.

Dramatis personae

• Hercules (alto)
• Pleasure (soprano)
• Virtue (alto)
• An Attendant on Pleasure (tenor)
• Chorus

Movements

The work has the followingmovements:

Movement	Type	Character	Text
1	Sinfonia
2	Accompagnato	Pleasure	See Hercules! how smiles yon myrtle plain
3	Air	Pleasure	Come, blooming boy
4	Air	Pleasure	There the brisk sparkling nectar drain
5	Solo and Chorus	Pleasure	While for thy arms that beauty glows
6	Recitative	Virtue	Away, mistaken wretch, away!
7	Air	Virtue	This manly youth's exalted mind
8	Recitative	Virtue	Rise, youth! exalt thyself and me
9	Air	Virtue	Go, assert thy heav'nly race
10	Recitative	Virtue	In peace, in war
11	Solo and Chorus	Virtue	So shalt thou gain immortal praise
12	Recitative	Pleasure	Hearst thou, what dangers then thou must engage?
13	Solo and Chorus	Pleasure	Turn thee, youth, to joy and love
14	Recitative	Pleasure and Hercules	Short is my way, fair, easy, smooth and plain
15	Air	Hercules	Yet, can I hear that dulcet lay
16	Air	Attendant on Pleasure	Enjoy the sweet Elysian grove
17	Recitative	Hercules	Oh! whither, reason, dost thou fly?
18	Trio	Hercules, Pleasure and Virtue	Where shall I go?
19	Recitative	Virtue	Mount, mount the steep ascent
20	Air	Virtue	Mount, mount the steep ascent
21	Chorus		Arise! mount the steep ascent
22	Recitative	Hercules	The sounds breathe fire
23	Air	Hercules	Lead, goddess, lead the way!
24	Chorus		Virtue will place thee in that blest abode

Recordings

Hyperion Records label received the 2003 International Handel Recording Prize for their recording ofThe Choice of Hercules.

• Conductor:Robert King
• Pleasure:Susan Gritton
• Virtue:Alice Coote
• Hercules:Robin Blaze
• An Attendant on Pleasure:Charles Daniels
• The Choir ofThe King's Consort
• The King's Consort

External links

• CompleteLibrettohosted by Stanford University
• The Choice of Hercules:Scores at theInternational Music Score Library Project
• Richard Dyer, Cecilia opens with 'Choice' Handel (review of Boston Cecilia production),The Boston Globe,8 November 2005