Handel - Israel in Egypt / Bostridge, Chance, Gritton, Varcoe, King's College Choir, The Brandenburg Consort, Cleobury

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Israel in Egypt is by far the most choral of all of Handel's oratorios. Indeed, Part II (which describes the plagues of Egypt with extraordinary vividness) is all chorus, apart from one short alto aria. For the most part, the King's College Choir, Cambridge, does a splendid job here. There's something unutterably beguiling about the freshness of children's voices in this context, especially when they are warmed with the delicate touch of vibrato which the "King's sound" requires. If the young singers do not have the sophistication of the adult female voices of, say, the Monteverdi Choir, they certainly have an unmistakable bloom. Cleobury keeps things very clear in the contrapuntal and fugal sections, but is less inspired in the passages that need more drama and orchestral color: the plagues of flies, lice, and locusts are woefully restrained, for example. The soloists, however, do their best to inject some theatricality during their arias. Ian Bostridge is in particularly fine form, and Susan Gritton sounds gorgeous. An attractive interpretation. --Warwick Thompson

Handel - Israel in Egypt / Bostridge, Chance, Gritton, Varcoe, King's College Choir, The Brandenburg Consort, Cleobury, Music, Michael Chance, Robert Ogden, Henry Herford, Stephen Varcoe, Angela East, George Frideric Handel, Stephen Cleobury, Brandenburg Consort, James Vivian, Libby Crabtree, Susan Gritton, Ian Bostridge, King's College Choir - Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort, Choral, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio, Oratorio
Handel - Israel in Egypt / Bostridge, Chance, Gritton, Varcoe, King's College Choir, The Brandenburg Consort, Cleobury
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • a voice teacher and early music
  • Israel in Egypt - Baroque Recording
  • Superb recording of one of Handel's great oratorios
  • A Magnificent Performance of One of Handel's Finest Oratorios
  • Passionate Reconstruction of First Version on Period Instr's
 Handel - Israel in Egypt / Bostridge, Chance, Gritton, Varcoe, King's College Choir, The Brandenburg Consort, Cleobury
King's College Choir - Cambridge , and The Brandenburg Consort
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004SDRE
Release Date: 2000-06-13

Tracks:

  1. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: Prelude
  2. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: The Sons Of Israel Do Mourn
  3. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: He Put On Righteousness
  4. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: When The Ear Heard Him Soprano
  5. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: How Is The Mighty Fall'n
  6. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: He Deliver'd The Poor
  7. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: How Is The Mighty Fall'n
  8. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: The Righteous Shall Be Had
  9. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: Their Bodies Are Buried In Peace
  10. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: The People Will Tell Of Their Wisdom
  11. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: They Shall Recieve A Glorious Kingdom
  12. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: The Merciful Goodness Of The Lord
  13. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: Now There Arose A New King Over Egypt
  14. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: And The Children Of Israel Sighed
  15. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: Then Sent He Moses
  16. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: They Loathed To Drink Of The River
  17. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: Their Land Brought Forth Frogs
  18. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: He Spake The Word
  19. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: He Gave Them Hailstones For Rain
  20. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: He Sent A Thick Darkness
  21. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: He Smote All The First-Born Of Egypt
  22. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: But As For His People
  23. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: Egypt Was Glad
  24. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: He Rebuked The Red Sea
  25. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: He Led Them Through The Deep
  26. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: But The Waters Overwhelmed Their Enemies
  27. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: And Israel Saw That Great Work
  28. The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn: And Believed The Lord

Tracks:

  1. Part III: Moses' Song: Moses And The Children Of Israel
  2. Part III: Moses' Song: I Will Sing Unto The Lord
  3. Part III: Moses' Song: The Lord Is My Strength
  4. Part III: Moses' Song: He Is My God And I Will Exalt Him
  5. Part III: Moses' Song: The Lord Is A Man Of War
  6. Part III: Moses' Song: The Depths Have Covered Them
  7. Part III: Moses' Song: Thy Right Hand O Lord, And In The Greatness
  8. Part III: Moses' Song: Thou Sentest Forth Thy Wrath
  9. Part III: Moses' Song: And With The Blast Of Thy Nostrils
  10. Part III: Moses' Song: The Enemy Said
  11. Part III: Moses' Song: Thou Didst Blow With The Wind
  12. Part III: Moses' Song: Who Is Like Unto Thee, O Lord, The Earth Swallowed Them
  13. Part III: Moses' Song: Thou In Thy Mercy
  14. Part III: Moses' Song: The People Shall Hear
  15. Part III: Moses' Song: Thou Shalt Bring Them In
  16. Part III: Moses' Song: The Lord Shall Reign For Ever And Ever
  17. Part III: Moses' Song: For The Horse Of Pharoah
  18. Part III: Moses' Song: The Lord Shall Reign For Ever And Ever
  19. Part III: Moses' Song: And Miriam The Prophetess
  20. Part III: Moses' Song: Sing Ye To The Lord

Amazon.com

Israel in Egypt is by far the most choral of all of Handel's oratorios. Indeed, Part II (which describes the plagues of Egypt with extraordinary vividness) is all chorus, apart from one short alto aria. For the most part, the King's College Choir, Cambridge, does a splendid job here. There's something unutterably beguiling about the freshness of children's voices in this context, especially when they are warmed with the delicate touch of vibrato which the "King's sound" requires. If the young singers do not have the sophistication of the adult female voices of, say, the Monteverdi Choir, they certainly have an unmistakable bloom. Cleobury keeps things very clear in the contrapuntal and fugal sections, but is less inspired in the passages that need more drama and orchestral color: the plagues of flies, lice, and locusts are woefully restrained, for example. The soloists, however, do their best to inject some theatricality during their arias. Ian Bostridge is in particularly fine form, and Susan Gritton sounds gorgeous. An attractive interpretation. --Warwick Thompson

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars a voice teacher and early music.......2006-03-21

When Handel began the writing of this composition he did not intend to write a gigantic epic, but simply an anthem (which is now the 2nd part headed 'Moses' Song,Exodus, chapter XV'. But the subject fascinated him and when he had finished the 2nd part,he wrote the first part as a kind of prelude. This tale of the salvation of the chosen people is told almost entirely in a chain of gigantic choruses,illustrating the sufferings of Israel in the land of bondage, the plagues inflicted by Jehovah upon the Egyptians,the escape of the Israelites, the passage of the Red Sea, and the final song of victory. As a combination of massive grandeur of style and picturesque force, it stands alone.The first performance took place at the King's Theatre on April 4,1739.I actually purchased this recording because it included the Original part l:The Lamentations of Jeremiah. Also because of the superior line-up of soloists which included 4 of my personal favorites: Chance, Varcoe, Bostridge and Gritton. This is just an excellent interpretation of this dramatic oratorio and I do agree with one of the previous reviewers that the boy sopranos as opposed to women sopranos lend a fresh new sound to this great work. The whole rendition is so dramatic that it is very easy to get into the bible story as told in Exodus. The Quartets sung by Gritton, Chance, Bostridge and Varcoe are glorious; it's very satisfying when the ear doesn't have to struggle to get the message; the diction in the chorus is just as refined and understandable. I have the Robert Shaw recording from several years before this one and while it is excellent, this one has the dramatic edge over it. In addition Shaw parceled out his solos to various people; for example Chance only sang one of the 4 main alto solos and I was "let down" by the others. Anyway, this is a great listening experience.

4 out of 5 stars Israel in Egypt - Baroque Recording.......2006-02-01

A wonderful recording of Handel's fifth oratorio. Ian Bostridge is fantastic, as are the other soloists. The King's College Choir is exemplary. I purchased this recording to use as preparation for singing the piece myself. I did not realize when I ordered it that it was recorded on baroque instruments (and therefore in a lower key), and would have prefered a recording on modern instruments for practicing.

5 out of 5 stars Superb recording of one of Handel's great oratorios.......2005-10-18

Handel made is fame in England as a brilliant composer of Italian Opera. When the crown endorsed a second opera company it was soon apparent that even London could not and would not support both. When Handel could no longer recruit the top singers for his operas, he turned to another great English vocal composition style, the Anthem. Out of this grew his Oratorio style, which allowed brilliant singing, popular choruses, musical drama without onstage action or expensive sets, and works that were sung in English and therefore more widely appreciated.

His "Israel in Egypt" dates from 1738 as he was winding down his composition of operas. In its original form the first part reused the mournful funeral anthem he had composed for the funeral of his patron Queen Caroline. While included in this recording, it has usually not been performed in concert over the centuries. Why? It may be that opening a dramatic work with so many choruses of a sad affect may wear an audience out before the quite different second and third parts even begin. Its texts are drawn from Lamentations, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and others representing Israel mourning the death of Joseph.

The second part is the Exodus from Egypt. These texts are drawn from Exodus and Psalms and the music is full of text painting during the plagues and the escape through the Red Sea. Part III is the most operatic in character and probably the part the audiences love the most. It is a setting of Moses' Song drawn from Exodus 15. It has the most work of soloists, ensembles and choruses.

The work did not please its first audiences and Handel adapted it over the years to find an audience for it. However, nineteenth century audiences loved it and performed it more than any other of Handel's oratorios save, of course, "Messiah".

Handel was a composer who often borrowed and reused music. He did that with his own works and the works of others. It is not straight plagiarism by today's standards, because he reworked, extended, and transformed the music. However, it surely would have gotten him on the wrong side of copyright laws, if any had existed. But they didn't and many other composers over the centuries also used borrowed material. Handel's genius improved the music and made it immortal.

This recording is of all three parts, done with the superb and historic King College Chorus of Cambridge with its thirty voices. This choir uses only boys for the trebles and provides a wonderful sound for this music. The soloists are all superb and the orchestral playing is spot on and supports the voices perfectly.

If you want to hear works by Handel and enjoy choruses, this is a great choice. Just don't expect another "Messiah". It is not the same kind of use of soloists and chorus. There are two disks and a small booklet with some history and the libretto.

5 out of 5 stars A Magnificent Performance of One of Handel's Finest Oratorios.......2005-08-07

ISRAEL IN EGYPT is an important step in Handel's career, a time when he took a breath from his Italian Operas and turned to the English libretti of his mighty oratorios. ISRAEL IN EGYPT is one of the more dramatic of his choral works, somehow capturing the drama of opera through the exciting role the chorus plays. Stephen Cleobury conducts what is certainly one of the most exciting and beautiful performances on record and he does so in the quintessential style of the Baroque era.

The soloists are all superb interpreters of the style and music of Handel and while tenor Ian Bostridge, countertenor Michael Chance and soprano Susan Gritton contribute the strongest roles, the work of Libby Crabtree, Angela East, Stephen Varcoe, and Henry Herford are also consistently excellent. The 'major role' in this opus is divided between the chorus and the orchestra and here is where the recording is the most radiant of any. The King's College Choir and the Brandenburg Consort are as fine as ensembles come for this music and Cleobury knows how to coax the beauty of line and energy of text from the entire ensemble.

For those unfamiliar with Handel's oratorios this recording is a fine start. And for those lovers of baroque music (and Handel in particular), this is a superlative example of how Handel's oratorios should be sung and played. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, August 05

5 out of 5 stars Passionate Reconstruction of First Version on Period Instr's.......2004-10-24

This is magnificent reconstruction of Handel's first composition on this oratorio, with Lamentations of the Israelites for the Death of Joseph included. Israel in Egypt is known to be the departure point for Handel from Italian opera to English oratoiro.

Here in wonderful fashion on period instruments with solid soloists and great baroque orchestra, this all comes together in a solid performance. Harpsichord and organ accompaniment are awesome, and strings do substantial job as well.

Great two CD set!

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