Customer Reviews

Handel: Israel in Egypt/Chandos Anthem No. 10

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I agree with the reviewer above that this is an excellent recording. I must strongly disagree with Mr. Hurwitz. I am a loyal fan of Ian Partridge, who is a regular favorite of mine for any lyric work whether baroque or early romantic, and he will not fail to disappoint those who like what he has done in the past here. The orchestra is a wonderful compliment, not a surprise seeing that it's the ASMF, no matter who they're under. I've never heard them take something at a rediculous pace or throw around baroque lines as if they were trying to hurl them to the back of the auditorium rather than letting them glide. That's not to say that they are of that dead, tinny sounding orchestra type either. A very good medium for those not used to pre 1960 recordings yet not satisfied with the newer interpretations like Gardiner/ some Harnoncourt. A bit like Sir Colin Davis.

This package of 'Israel in Egypt', while being two full CD's at about 130 minutes, is the same amount of music for half the price of the typical Hyperion recording of Handel's oratorios, commonly running to list prices of $35. The only oddity of the set is that the two CD's actually contain two different works. The first is Chandos Anthem No. 10 and the second is the title work. Fortunately, Handel's music blends together so well that to dillitant amateur music listeners like myself, I hardly notice the seams. So, while it is not as cohesive as, for example, 'Judas Maccabus', it is still great listening on the cheap.

I appreciate, in this recording, expecially the choir. But the singers and the conductor are good too. What a pity not to have the text of this pleasant and important oratorio.

We found this recording of "Israel in Egypt" to be of spectacular quality--excepting one soloist's moment, near the end of the work.

Intellectually engaging as it is, parts of it are so powerful, our physical reactions ranged from stunned to raptured.

Why would anyone say this was not a great renditon? The modern idea is to take a great work and do everything possible to make it different from what the original score indicates.

If the passage is measured, they syncopate it; if the passage is syncopated, they insist it be on the beat. If it is supposed to be fast, they slow it, and if slow, they speed it up. I'm not going to bore you by going through every possibility--but they do!

This way, the inferior can trample the superior, and create a distinctive "style" that the same people who admired the Emperor's new clothes will admire.

And the agents of change can weave a decadent, demoralizing pall to throw over anything inspirational and uplifting.

I am so weary of finding every wonderful work trashed this way in modern recordings, I usually only look for pre-1960 releases.

That's why this relatively recent release, with its superior recording technology, is such a delight.

As far as the preternatural beauty of this piece--a work of genius, if you are at all familiar with Jewish liturgical music, you will see that, indeed, Handel did his homework.

We give this work five stars, and wish there were a higher rating to award it. Thanks, Amazon, for making it available!

Skip this trash. Save your money. This version of Israel in Egypt is very poor. The singers are weak, even the choir is bad. If you want to hear the best Israel in Egypt, you must try to find the one conducted by Maurice Abravanel, with the Utah SO and Chorus (label Westminster, # 5623 in Brazil, in the 60's...). Blanche Christensen and Collen Bischoff are wonderfull sopranos, Grace Bumbry a very good contralto, Dale Blackburn (tenor),Don Watts & Warren Woods (bass) are splendid. The Orchestra and Chorus are magnificent, and Abravanel the master. But the reason of this sucess is that they performed with joy, believing in (always fantastic) Handel's work. Try to find one copy or write to Vanguard to re-issue this jewel. But do not loose your time with "ersatz" works. Get the real thing.