Handel: Israel in Egypt (Complete oratorio)

"The recording is close but not objectionably so, and the historical notes and synopsis by William Yeoman are excellent, although once again Naxos have spoilt the package by omitting the text even if this is available on their website. This is, however, of little importance when compared with the very strong merits of this set both as music and as performance. This is a real winner starting this anniversary year in fine style."
(MusicWeb Feb 2009)

"Turning to Handel's most unique and transcendent choral work ought to be a new jolt of joy. And so it proved to be, if after a slow start. Following what has come to be regular practice now, Mallon respects Handel's original structure for this work that gave him so much trouble. That is to say, he restores the revised Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline as the oratorio's Part I. This music is a fascinating work in its own right, but it is somewhat overextended in its message and only minimally varied in its textures, difficult to bring off convincingly, As a result, Mallon's performance does not really catch fire until he plunges into Parts II and III-that is, what used to be regarded as Parts I and II.

…I particularly enjoyed the work or soprano Such, mezzo Modolo, and tenor Roach. Mallon's chorus consists of 28 mixed voices, sometimes just a little raw and unpolished in sound, but whipped up by him into genuinely inspired singing, and with unusually clear diction. The orchestra is 27 players strong and just as spirited. Mallon occasionally reduces a violin part to a single player, and he (or the engineer) gives particular (and powerful) freedom to his timpanist, while the woodwind playing is captured with particular clarity.

A really great performance of this astounding score should inspire awe, thrills, and exciteIIent; and this one does pretty consistently once it picks up speed. The solos are kept in proper-that is, minor-proportion to the magnificent choral canvases, which spread out with soaring power. The double-chorus divisions could be just a bit more clearly captured sonically, but their rolling thunder and compelling duels come across well.

…For the bargain-minded, however, this new Mallon release, one of his best yet, is a very good deal."
--American Record Guide, September/October 2008

Handel's oratorio Israel in Egypt was written three years before the Messiah and, like the Messiah, is somewhat atypical of the composer's oratorios. Scored for double chorus and an orchestra using trombones, trumpets, timpani, woodwinds and strings with continuo, Israel in Egypt contains relatively little solo material but is dominated by large-scale virtuosic choruses that fully exploit Handel's lavish and sophisticated word-painting. Set pieces for which the work is most famous include swarming strings representing flies in 'He spake the word', the furious brass and timpani in 'He gave them hailstones for rain' and the famous depiction of frogs in the aria 'Their land brought forth frogs'.