Handel - Israel in Egypt Oratorio (reference recording: John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir & Or.)

Georg Friedrich Handel (1685-1759) Israel in Egypt Oratorio.
Click to activate the English subtitles for the presentation (00:00-00:04:08)
Overture: Lamentations of the Israelites for the death of Joseph 00:00
Exodus
1. "Now here arose", récitatif P. Elliott 02:13
2. "And the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage: And their cry..." chorus 02:38
3. "Then sent He Moses", récitatif P. Elliott 06:34
4. "They loathed to drink", chorus 07:08
5. "Their land brought", aria A. Stafford 09:26
6. "He spake the word", chorus 11:43
7. "He gave them hailstones", chorus 13:51
8. "He sent a thick darkness", chorus 16:04
9. "He smote all the first-born", chorus 19:24
10. "But as for His people': chorus 21:51
11. "Egypt was glad", chorus 26:01
12. "He rebuked the Red Sea", chorus 29:04
13. "He led them", chorus 29:51
14. "But the waters", chorus 31:17
15. "And Israel saw", chorus 32:21
16. "And believed the Lord", chorus 33:19

Moses’ Song
17. "Moses, and the children': introitus - chorus 37:01
18. "I will sing", chorus 37:58
19. "The Lord is my strengh", duo J. Knibbs & M. Troth 40:35
20. "He is my God", chorus 45:12
21. "And I will exalt him", chorus 46:02
22. "The Lord is a man of war", duo S. Varcoe & C. Stewart 48:58
23. "The depths have covered them", chorus 54:45
24. "Thy right hand", chorus 57:34
25. "And in the greatness", chorus 59:02
26. "Thou sentest forth", chorus 59:39
27. "And with the blast", chorus 1:01:42
28. "The enemy said", aria W. Kendall 1:04:44
29. "Thou didst blow", aria D. Greene 1:07:11
30. "Who is like unto Thee", chorus 1:09:35
31. "The earth swallowed them", chorus 1:11:10
32. "Thou is thy mercy", duo B. Gordon & P. Elliott 1:12:21
33. "The people shall hear", chorus 1:16:48
34. "Thou shalt bring", aria J. Clarkson 1:24:21
35. "The Lord shall reign", chorus 1:28:15
36. "For the horse of Pharoah", récitatifP. Elliott 1:28:58
37. "The Lord shall reign", chorus 1:29:24
38. "And Miriam the prophetess", récitatif P. Elliott 1:30:05
39. "Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriusly ! The Lord shall reign...", 1:30:28
E. Priday & Chorus

N. Burrowes: Sopran
Ch. Brett: Counter-Tenor
M. Hill: Tenor
S. Varcoe: Bass
M. Levin: Theorbo
M. Hicks: Organ
Monteverdi Choir & Orchestra
Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner
Recorded in 1978, at London
Painting: Edward Poynter (1836-1919) Israel in Egypt
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In 1859 Henry Chorley termed Israel in Egypt "something apart from, alone, above all other works existing in descriptive choral music". To approach this prodigious piece in any other way, or to attempt a strict comparison with Handel's other oratorios, is somewhat fruitless: for this is indeed a work apart, unique in its epic conception and in the dazzling variety of its choral and orchestral writing. Nowhere else except in Dixit Dominus (1707), the tour deforce of his youthful stay in Italy, did Handel make such sustained demands of his choral singers, stretching to the limit their range of dramatic expression, stamina and sheer virtuosity.

Georg Friedrich Haendel PLAYLIST (reference recordings): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3UZpQL9LIxMj1UpsqX_ALRZ9ydo6UjNd