Royal Fireworks Music / Alexander's Feast

Released in 1977 on the budget-conscious Mace Records label, this recording features the New Classical Philharmony under the direction of George Randolph Warren. It pairs two of George Frideric Handel's most celebrated orchestral works: the Music for the Royal Fireworks, originally commissioned by King George II in 1749 to accompany a pyrotechnic display in London’s Green Park, and the suite from Alexander's Feast, a setting of John Dryden's ode on the power of music.

The production reflects the era's interest in making baroque orchestral repertoire accessible to a wider audience through affordable vinyl pressings. Mace Records specialized in repackaging classical performances for the mass market, and this specific catalog entry serves as a functional, mid-fidelity representation of Handel's high-baroque style, intended for general listening rather than the scholarly historical performance movement that was beginning to gain traction during the late 1970s.