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George Frideric Handel

Israel in Egypt, HWV.54

HWV 54 Vocal

Israel in Egypt, HWV 54, is a biblical oratorio by the composer George Frideric Handel. Most scholars believe the libretto was prepared by Charles Jennens, who also compiled the biblical texts for Handel's Messiah. It is composed entirely of selected passages from the Old Testament, mainly from Exodus and the Psalms.

Israel in Egypt premiered at London's King's Theatre in the Haymarket on April 4, 1739 with Élisabeth Duparc "La Francesina", William Savage, John Beard, Turner Robinson, Gustavus Waltz, and Thomas Reinhold. Handel started it soon after the opera season at King's Theatre was cancelled for lack of subscribers. The oratorio was not well received by the first audience though commended in the Daily Post; the second performance was shortened, the mainly choral work now augmented with Italian-style arias.

The first version of the piece is in three parts rather than two, 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 three-part version is Part II rather than Part I.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Movements

  1. Part I, no. 1: Prelude
  2. Part I, no. 2: Chorus "The sons of Israel do mourn"
  3. Part I, no. 3: Chorus "He put on righteousness"
  4. Part I, no. 4: Quartet "When the ear heard him" (soprano I, alto I, tenor, bass I)
  5. Part I, no. 5: Chorus "How is the might fall'n"
  6. Part I, no. 6: Chorus "He deliver'd the poor"
  7. Part I, no. 7: Chorus "How is the might fall'n"
  8. Part I, no. 8: Quartet - Chorus "The righteous shall be had" (soprano I, alto I, tenor, bass I)
  9. Part I, no. 9: Chorus "Their bodies are buried in peace"
  10. Part I, no. 10: Chorus "The people will tell of their wisdom"
  11. Part I, no. 11: Quartet "They shall receive a glorious kingdom" (soprano I, alto I, tenor, bass I)
  12. Part I, no. 12: Chorus "The merciful goodness of the Lord"
  13. Part II, no. 1: Recitative "Now these arose a new king over Egypt" (tenor)
  14. Part II, no. 2: Chorus "And the children of Israel sighed" (with alto II)
  15. Part II, no. 3: Recitative "Then sent he Moses" (tenor)
  16. Part II, no. 4: Chorus "They loathed to drink of the river"
  17. Part II, no. 5: Air "Their land brought forth frogs" (alto I)
  18. Part II, no. 6: Chorus "He spake the word"
  19. Part II, no. 7: Chorus "He gave them hailstones for rain"
  20. Part II, no. 8: Chorus "He sent a thick darkness"
  21. Part II, no. 9: Chorus "He smote all the first-born of Egypt"
  22. Part II, no. 10: Chorus "But as for his people"
  23. Part II, no. 11: Chorus "Egypt was glad"
  24. Part II, no. 12: Chorus "He rebuked the Red Sea"
  25. Part II, no. 13: Chorus "He led them through the deep"
  26. Part II, no. 14: Chorus "But the waters overwhelmed their enemies"
  27. Part II, no. 15: Chorus "And Israel saw that great work"
  28. Part II, no. 16: Chorus "And believed the Lord"
  29. Part III, no. 17: Introitus (Chorus) "Moses and the children of Israel"
  30. Part III, no. 18: Chorus "I will sing unto the lord"
  31. Part III, no. 19: Duet "The Lord is my strength" (sopranos I & II)
  32. Part III, no. 20: Chorus "He is my god"
  33. Part III, no. 21: Chorus "And I will exalt him"
  34. Part III, no. 22: Duet "The Lord is a man of war" (basses I & II)
  35. Part III, no. 23: Chorus "The depths have covered them"
  36. Part III, no. 24: Chorus "Thy right hand, o Lord"
  37. Part III, no. 25: Chorus "And in the greatness"
  38. Part III, no. 26: Chorus "Thou sentest forth thy wrath"
  39. Part III, no. 27: Chorus "And with the blast of thy nostrils"
  40. Part III, no. 28: Air "The enemy said" (tenor)
  41. Part III, no. 29: Air "Thou didst blow with the wind" (soprano I)
  42. Part III, no. 30: Chorus "Who is like unto thee, o Lord"
  43. Part III, no. 31: Chorus "The earth swallowed them"
  44. Part III, no. 32: Duet "Thou in thy mercy" (alto I, tenor)
  45. Part III, no. 33: Chorus "The people shall hear"
  46. Part III, no. 34: Air "Thou shalt bring them" (alto I)
  47. Part III, no. 35: Chorus "The Lord shall reign for ever and ever"
  48. Part III, no. 36: Recitative "For the horse of Pharaoh" (tenor)
  49. Part III, no. 37: Chorus "The Lord shall reign for ever and ever"
  50. Part III, no. 38: Recitative "And Miriam the prophetess (tenor)
  51. Part III, no. 39: Chorus "Sing ye to the Lord" (with soprano)

Elsewhere

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