Final Alice-Grand concerto for voice and orchestra

Commissioned for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and dedicated to Sir Georg Solti, Final Alice is scored for gargantuan forces and is based on the last two chapters of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It has been described by the composer as a "grand concerto for voice and orchestra" and an "opera written in concert form". The solo part is partly spoken and partly sung, and here despatched with great flair by Barbara Hendricks. The spacious recording, made in 1980 at Chicago's Medinah Temple is of demonstration class and the whole piece, lasting an hour, is a real spectacle. The booklet includes David Del Tredici's original liner notes as well as the libretto. Much requested for reissue by enthusiasts, it's finally made it to CD.