Georg Friedrich Händel

Israel In Egypt

Handel originally wrote Israel in Egypt in the late 1730s, but this, the well-known version was not written until twenty years later, when he discarded the old one as out-of-date. The 'new' version is a two-act oratorio where the chorus is far more prominent, and serves much greater variety of expressive purposes, than one finds almost anywhere else in Handel's output. Notably, there is extensive use of the double-chorus.

It did not take long for this 1756 version of Israel in Egypt to assume a place alongside the Messiah as one of England's favorite choral treasures. Part I tells of the Israelites' deliverance from their Egyptian captivity at the hands of Moses; the twelve choruses that describe the miracles leading to the Israelites' freedom are among the most stunning and colorful ever written - images of hailstones, pestilence, and even the glorious parting of the Red Sea are achieved without once resorting to the kind of pictorialism that a lesser composer would relish. Part II, Moses' Song, recounts the Israelites' victory. This is the Schirmer Edition of the Vocal Score and hence contains a piano reduction of the original orchestral accompaniment.

The full score is also available, order code DP16788.