Georg Friedrich Händel: Israel in Egypt

Israel in Egypt

Oratorio in three parts
The versions of the 1739 and 1756-7 performances
HWV 54
German Translation by Michael Pacholke
Vocal Score based on the Urtext of the Halle Handel Edition by Andreas Köhs
BA 4063a

Note: For performances there is a vocal score in two volumes available.

Preface Contents Review

Preface

According to his own words in the autograph manuscript, Handel started work on his oratorio Israel in Egypt on 1 October 1738 and ended the piece on 1 November 1738. It consists of three parts: The Lamentation of the Israelites for the Death of Joseph, Exodus and Moses' Song. All three use words taken from the Bible.
Part I is a textual reworking of the Funeral Anthem, HWV 264. Part III, likewise a self-contained composition, was written from 1 to 11 October 1738. Handel then composed Part II from 15 to 20 October 1738, after which he undertook the final redaction of the work.
The oratorio was given its first performance in the King's Theatre (Theatre in the Haymarket) on 4 April 1739. The singers were Elisabeth Duparc (alias La Francesina, soprano), William Savage (alto), John Beard (tenor), Gustavus Waltz (bass 1) and Henry Reinhold (bass 2). In the subsequent performances on 11 and 17 April 1739 Handel added four arias and a recitative for the soprano Duparc, but omitted one chorus and made further cuts.
In 1756 Handel reworked his oratorio and performed it with a completely new first part consisting of numbers extracted from Solomon, the Peace Anthem, and the Occasional Oratorio. This version was performed on 17 and 24 March 1756, 4 March 1757, and 24 February 1758. Choruses were abridged of omitted in parts II and III and arias inserted from other oratorios. Librettos have survived for the performances in 1756 and 1757, thereby allowing us to reconstruct these versions, but not for the 1758 performance, whose cuts, alterations and inserts therefore remain completely unknown.
Our vocal score contains the version presented at the first performance according to the 1739 libretto, as well as the recitative and four insert arias added for the second and third performances of 1739. These latter numbers are taken from appendix I of the score published Halle Handel Edition and are identified by a "I" ( ) prefixed to the number. We have also included the revised version of 1756, i. e. all the numbers from appendix II of the score edition; these are identified by a "II" ( ) prefixed to the number.
The numbering of Part I has been obtained from the contents of the libretto and, in part, from the text preserved in the sources. Adjoining choruses which are closely related in their musical fabric are separated by a thin double line. The numbering of parts II and III has been adopted from the libretto.

Halle, December 1999
Annette Landgraf
translated by J. Bradford Robinson

I ( ) marks the pieces which had been changed or added after the first performance in 1739
(Anhang Part I of the score of the Halle Handel Edition).
II ( ) marks the new version of Part I as well as the changes and additions in part II and III for the performances in 1756-7 (Anhang II of the score of the Halle Handel Edition).

Part I
The Lamentation of the Israelites for the Death of Joseph

Version of 1739 1^st performance	Version of 1739 2^nd performance	Version of 1756-7
1. Symphony	1. Symphony (shortened)	II (1) Ouverture
2. Chorus The sons of Israel do mourn	2.Chorus (shortened) The sons of Israel do mourn	II (2) Chorus of Israelites Your harps and cymbals sound
3. Chorus How is the mighty fall'n	3. Chorus How is the mighty fall'n	II (3) Accompagnato Almighty pow'r (High Priest/Tenore)
4. ChorusHe put on righteousness	4. ChorusHe put on righteousness	II/(4) AirSacred raptures
5. ChorusWhen the ear heard him	5. ChorusWhen the ear heard him	II/(5) RecitativeBless'd be the Lord
6. ChorusHow is the mighty fall'n	6. ChorusHow is the mighty fall'n	II/(6) AirWhat tho' I trace
7. ChorusHe deliver'd the poor	7. ChorusHe deliver'd the poor	II/(7) RecitativePrais'd be the Lord
8. ChorusHow is the mighty fall'n	8. ChorusHow is the mighty fall'n	II/(8) AirWhen the sun o'er yonder hills
9. ChorusThe righteous shall be	9.ChorusThe righteous shall be	II/(9) RecitativeWho trusts in God
10. ChorusTheir bodies are buried in peace	10. ChorusTheir bodies are buried in peace	II/(10) AirMay balmy peace
11. ChorusThe people will tell of their wisdom	11. ChorusThe people will tell of their wisdom	II/(11) Solo and ChorusThe Lord hath given strength
12. ChorusThey shall receive a glorious kingdom	12. Chorus (shortened ?)They shall receive a glorious kingdom	II/(12) Solo and ChorusTo God, our strength
13. ChorusThe merciful goodness of the Lord	13. ChorusThe merciful goodness of the Lord
Part II Exodus
RecitativeNow there arose a new king	I/(1) RecitativeNow there arose a new king(alternative version for both recitatives and no. 14)	RecitativeNow there arose a new king
14. Solo and ChorusAnd the children of Israel sigh'd		II/(13) Solo and ChorusAnd the children of Israel sigh'd
RecitativeThen sent he Moses		RecitativeThen sent he Moses
15. ChorusThey loathed to drink	15. ChorusThey loathed to drink	15. Recitative and Chorus*He turned their waters into bloodThey loathed to drink
16. AirTheir land brought forth frogs	16. AirTheir land brought forth frogs	16. AirTheir land brought forth frogs
17. ChorusHe spake the word	17. ChorusHe spake the word	17. ChorusHe spake the word
18. ChorusHe gave them hailstones	18. ChorusHe gave them hailstones (shortened ?)	18. ChorusHe gave them hailstones (shortened ?)
19. ChorusHe sent a thick darkness	19. ChorusHe sent a thick darkness	19. ChorusHe sent a thick darkness
20. ChorusHe smote all the firstborn	20. ChorusHe smote all the firstborn	20. ChorusHe smote all the firstborn
21. ChorusBut as for his people	21. ChorusBut as for his people	21. ChorusBut as for his people
22. ChorusEgypt was glad	I/(2) AirThrough the land
23. ChorusHe rebuked the Red Sea	23. ChorusHe rebuked the Red Sea	23. ChorusHe rebuked the Red Sea
	I/(3) AriaAngelico splendor
24. ChorusAnd Israel saw the great work	24. ChorusAnd Israel saw the great work	24. ChorusAnd Israel saw the great work
		II/(14) AirHope, a pure and lasting treasure
		24. ChorusAnd Israel saw the great work
Part III Moses' Song
25. Chorus/IntroitusMoses and the children of Israel	25. Chorus/IntroitusMoses and the children of Israel	25. ChorusMoses and the children of Israel
26. DuetThe Lord is my strength	26. DuetThe Lord is my strength	26. DuetThe Lord is my strength
27. ChorusHe is my God	27. ChorusHe is my God	27. Chorus (a slip of paper, pasted in)He is my God
28. DuetThe Lord is a man of war	28. DuetThe Lord is a man of war	28. DuetThe Lord is a man of war
29. ChorusThe depths have cover'd them	29. ChorusThe depths have cover'd them	29. ChorusThe depths have cover'd them
30. ChorusThy right hand	30. ChorusThy right hand	30. Chorus (shortened)Thy right handwithout "Thou sentest forth ..."
	I/(4) AirCor fedele
	I/(5) RecitativeOffra un core devoto
	I/(6) AirBianco giglio
	30. Chorus, continuation, without "Thou sentest forth ..."
31. ChorusAnd with the blast	31. ChorusAnd with the blast
32. AirThe enemy said	32. AirThe enemy said	32. AirThe enemy said
33. AirThou did'st blow	33. AirThou did'st blow	33. AirThou did'st blow
34. ChorusWho is like unto thee	34. Chorus (shortened)Who is like unto theewithout "Thou stretchest out ..." and "The earth swallowed them"	34. Chorus (shortened)Who is like unto theewithout "Thou stretchest out ..." and "The earth swallowed them"
35. DuetThou in thy mercy	35. DuetThou in thy mercy
36. ChorusThe people shall hear	I/(7) AirLa speranza
37. AirThou shalt bring them in	37. AirThou shalt bring them in	37. AirThou shalt bring them in
		II/(15) Air (only 1757)Toss'd from thought to thought
38. ChorusThe Lord shall reign	38. ChorusThe Lord shall reign	38. ChorusThe Lord shall reign
RecitativeFor the horse of Pharaoh	RecitativeFor the horse of Pharaoh	RecitativeFor the horse of Pharaoh
38. ChorusThe Lord shall reign	38. ChorusThe Lord shall reign	38. ChorusThe Lord shall reign
RecitativeAnd Miriam the prophetess	RecitativeAnd Miriam the prophetess	RecitativeAnd Miriam the prophetess
39. Solo and ChorusSing ye to the Lord	39. Solo and Chorus (shortened ?)Sing ye to the Lord	39. Air and Chorus (shortened ?)Sing ye to the Lord

Review

Ein großer Händel perfekt präsentiert
"Jetzt hat der Bärenreiter-Verlag im Zuge der (blauen) Halleschen Händel-Ausgabe ein großes Werk vollbracht und im bewährt soliden "Outfit" eine mustergültige Neuausgabe erstellt, die alles bietet, was zu diesem Opus aufzutreiben war: Nicht nur die (bisher allein verbreitete) Erstfassung von 1739, sondern dazu ... die Satzalternativen bei den Folgeaufführungen und schließlich die komplette Neufassung des ersten Teils bei den Aufführungen von 1756/7."
Konrad Klek (Praxishandbuch CHORLEITUNG 1/2001)