Customer Reviews

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

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This great oratorio by Handel has many good recorded versions, but none is as dramatic and revealing as this new release. It was recorded in 1995, but it has the required freshness and immediacy, a kind of prophetic recording. Each instrument of the orchestra is vivid, as well as the various sections of the choir. It is conducted with full awareness of the meaning of that historical excursion from slavery in the flourishing kingdon of Egypt into the freedom of the Israelites on their way to become a nation in the Promised Land. The glory of this recording is mainly in the voices of Michael Chance, a counter tenor of the highest degree, and that unique singing voice of Ian Bostridge, a tenor who performs his music in the vein of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau with a rare intelligent reading of both music and text.

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

COMPETENT CLEOBURY and the FABULOUS FOUR soloists together with the King's College Choir accompanied by the Brandenburg Consort have produced an inspirational and expert rendition of this marvelous work by Handel. It could be said that 'Israel in Egypt, composed in 1739,marked a turning point in Handel's composing life. This was due to the decline of interest in Italian opera. And so began his Oratorios.

'Israel in Egypt',the fifth of the nineteen oratorios which Handel composed in English, was written in only twenty-seven days. It is truly a colossal work and was first performed on April 4, 1739, at the King's Theatre, of which Handel was then the manager. It is essentially a choral oratorio, comprising no less than twenty-eight massive double choruses.

Like much of Handel's music 'Israel in Egypt' made use of much borrowing from his other compositions: the opening part. 'The Lamentations of the Israelites for the Death of Joseph', is an adaptation of 'The Ways of Zion Do Mourn', written in 1737, for the funeral of Queen Caroline, the consort of George II.

In this recording you hear the work in its original three-part format. The King's College Choir with its clear voiced soaring boy sopranos and its velvet-toned male altos lend a lushness to the overall tone quality. The playing of the Brandenburg Consort is skilled both as to phrasing and articulation, creating a natural and keen sense of structure and ensemble which drives it all forward.

The Fabulous Four soloists are outstanding: Stephen Varcoe (bass) effortlessly gives the text meaning and direction; Michael Chance (countertenor) performs using his uniquely lovely sound with character and drive; Ian Bostridge (tenor) renders his solos with great beauty and flawless diction; Susan Gritton (soprano) with her excellent sense of balance, heightened by a feeling of drama, is worthy of Handel's operatic tradition.

Competent Cleobury is in full command of both voices and orchestra, and thus has rendered an inspirational, not to be missed by Handelians, performance. (recorded in 1995) The accompanying booklet is very informative and includes the complete text.

For a number of years I have searched for an interpretation of this magnificent work of art. And I must say now that my search has now been concluded.

I have always held in high esteem the marvellous renditions of the King's College Choir, and this heavenly music is no exception. They have done it yet again, combining powerful vocal skills, with beautifully played orchestral parts, achieving a choral spectacle, in this most 'choral' of Handel's oratorios. I constantly use the word 'grand', 'stately' and all it's variants and forms to describe Handel, and so it is with this recording, for it does wonderful justice to these all so characteristically 'Handelian' attributes.

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.

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!

The music is, of course, sublime. The performance is not. I'd blame my equipment but other CDs sound great. Sometimes the chorus sounds as if it's singing from the bottom of a well. The high notes are at times distorted. Disappointing...

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.