Israel in Egypt (oratorio)
Encyclopedia
Israel in Egypt is a biblical oratorio
by the composer George Frideric Handel
. Many historians believe the libretto was compiled by Handel's collaborator Charles Jennens
, and it is composed entirely of selected passages from the Hebrew Bible
, mainly from Exodus and the Psalms
.
Israel in Egypt premiered at London
's King's Theatre in the Haymarket
on April 4, 1739. Handel started it soon after the opera season at King's theatre was cancelled because of a lack of subscribers. The oratorio was not well received by audiences, although commended in the Daily Post, and the second performance was shortened, the mainly choral work now augmented with Italian aria
s.
An early version of the piece is in three parts rather than the later two; incorporating the first part more famous as "The ways of Zion do Mourn", with altered text as "The Sons of Israel do Mourn" lamenting the death of Joseph. This section precedes the Exodus which in the tripartite version is Part II rather than Part I. This variant has been recorded by Andrew Parrott
, Stephen Cleobury
, Peter Dijkstra and Anthony Bramall.
For a long time, the earliest known recording of music known to be still in existence was an excerpt from this Oratorio (since then, the work of Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville
has been rediscovered and played back). The recording was of several thousand singers singing "Moses and the Children of Israel" http://www.nps.gov/archive/edis/edisonia/audio/EDIS-SRP-0154-17.mp3 in the Crystal Palace Handel Festival of 1888-06-29, recorded by Col.
George Gouraud on Edison's yellow paraffin cylinder
. The limitations of recording technology at that time, together with the number of voices, the distance of the recording device from the singers, and the acoustics of the Crystal Palace, mean that the recording was never high-fidelity, and it has since then become badly degraded. What survives is of poor quality, but is identifiable by ear, and gives some insight into performance practices at the height of the Handel Festival phenomenon.
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
by the composer George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
. Many historians believe the libretto was compiled by Handel's collaborator Charles Jennens
Charles Jennens
Charles Jennens was an English landowner and patron of the arts, who assembled the text for five of Handel's oratorios: Saul, Israel in Egypt, L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, Messiah, and Belshazzar...
, and it is composed entirely of selected passages from the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
, mainly from Exodus and the Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
.
Israel in Egypt premiered at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's King's Theatre in the Haymarket
Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
on April 4, 1739. Handel started it soon after the opera season at King's theatre was cancelled because of a lack of subscribers. The oratorio was not well received by audiences, although commended in the Daily Post, and the second performance was shortened, the mainly choral work now augmented with Italian aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
s.
An early version of the piece is in three parts rather than the later two; incorporating the first part more famous as "The ways of Zion do Mourn", with altered text as "The Sons of Israel do Mourn" lamenting the death of Joseph. This section precedes the Exodus which in the tripartite version is Part II rather than Part I. This variant has been recorded by Andrew Parrott
Andrew Parrott
Andrew Parrott is a British conductor, perhaps best known for his pioneering historically informed performances of pre-classical music. He conducts a wide range of repertoire, including contemporary music. He conducted the premiere of Judith Weir's A Night at the Chinese Opera...
, Stephen Cleobury
Stephen Cleobury
Stephen Cleobury CBE is an English organist and conductor. He was organ scholar at St John's College, Cambridge and sub-organist of Westminster Abbey before becoming Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral in 1979...
, Peter Dijkstra and Anthony Bramall.
For a long time, the earliest known recording of music known to be still in existence was an excerpt from this Oratorio (since then, the work of Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville
Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville
Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville was a French printer and bookseller who lived in Paris. He invented the earliest known sound recording device, the phonautograph, which was patented in France on 25 March 1857....
has been rediscovered and played back). The recording was of several thousand singers singing "Moses and the Children of Israel" http://www.nps.gov/archive/edis/edisonia/audio/EDIS-SRP-0154-17.mp3 in the Crystal Palace Handel Festival of 1888-06-29, recorded by Col.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
George Gouraud on Edison's yellow paraffin cylinder
Phonograph cylinder
Phonograph cylinders were the earliest commercial medium for recording and reproducing sound. Commonly known simply as "records" in their era of greatest popularity , these cylinder shaped objects had an audio recording engraved on the outside surface which could be reproduced when the cylinder was...
. The limitations of recording technology at that time, together with the number of voices, the distance of the recording device from the singers, and the acoustics of the Crystal Palace, mean that the recording was never high-fidelity, and it has since then become badly degraded. What survives is of poor quality, but is identifiable by ear, and gives some insight into performance practices at the height of the Handel Festival phenomenon.
External links
- full-text libretto hosted by Stanford
- Program Notes by Boston CeciliaBoston CeciliaThe Boston Cecilia is a choral society in Boston, Massachusetts, which is in its 132nd season. Founded in 1876, the ensemble has enjoyed historic relationships with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and famous conductors and composers, such as Arthur Fiedler, Igor Stravinsky, and Antonín Dvořák...