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CORO TheThe Sixteen Sixteen Edition Edition CORO The Sixteen Edition Other Sixteen Edition The Call of The Beloved recordings available on Coro Victoria COR16007 The Fairy Queen “...this is a beautifully Israel prepared and Purcell - 2 CDs rewarding recording COR16005 that deepens our “A performance like this appreciation of one of shows dimensions of Purcell's in Egypt the greatest masters genius that are all too rarely of the renaissance.” heard on disc.” GRAMOPHONE George Frideric Handel GRAMOPHONE Samson The Flowering Handel - 3 CDs of Genius COR16008 Guerrero, Tallis, “Powerful choral singing from Byrd, Victoria The Sixteen and alert playing COR16001 The Sixteen by the period-instrument band “The Sixteen’s sound make this the most pleasurable is distilled, ethereal – The Symphony of Samson yet recorded.” hard to imagine a more Harmony and Invention SUNDAY TIMES sublime performance.” BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE HARRY CHRISTOPHERS “As time goes by, I find Harry Christophers’ music-making more and more captivating...” BBC RADIO 3, CD REVIEW THE VOICES OF To find out more about The Sixteen, concerts, tours, and to buy CDs, visit www.thesixteen.com cor16011 PagePage 16XX PagePage XX1 1 PMS PMS 000 000 04 How things change - Israel in ince the late eighteenth century poorly patronised when it resumed in the new The Sixteen Edition Egypt was a flop back in 1739; too Handel’s Israel in Egypt has generally year. Plans for a further opera season the many choruses, not enough arias Sbeen thought of as an oratorio in two following winter collapsed because too few for the divas, not what the public parts. Handel did indeed compose those two subscribers came forward tot support it, and wanted at all and, in fact, only parts together in the autumn of 1738 but he handle therefore turned once again to Israel in Egypt saved by the inclusion of some never considered them to be complete in oratorio, deciding for the first time to offer a Highlights virtuosic organ concertos! Today, themselves. To him they were the second and season consisting only of oratorios and other it is well loved; large choral third parts of a three-part oratorio, the first choral works performed without stage action. THE SIXTEEN sequences forming a drama for part of which was a version of the The first new work of the season was to be THE SYMPHONY OF HARMONY nations, so just what the public magnificent and solemn anthem The ways of the oratorio Saul, to a libretto by Handel’s AND INVENTION want! But of course some things don’t change: Zion do mourn, composed for the funeral of friend Charles Jennens. This was drafted sentiments like “The Lord is a man of war” reflected Queen Caroline in 1737. Handel had had between 23 July and 15 August, and, as Conductor, the political mood of the time when government was some success with English Oratorio since the originally conceived, was to include in its HARRY CHRISTOPHERS pressing for war. first London performance of Esther in 1732 – third act a substantial part of the Funeral Handel’s work vividly portrays the story of the Deborah followed in 1733, reached London in Anthem as an Elegy on the deaths of Saul plagues, the tribulations of a captive tribe and finally 1735 – but throughout the 1730s he was still and Jonathan. However, Handel (or Jennens) celebrates the deliverance of the chosen people. It is primarily a composer of Italian opera. A rival thought better of this idea and the anthem quite simply a grand choral spectacular and, company known as the “Opera of the was replaced with a new and entirely different undoubtedly, the ideal work to celebrate The Sixteen’s Nobility” challenged him in 1733, and in the Elegy when the oratorio was revised in 25th anniversary. The choir and orchestra are my pride following year Handel moved his operations September. Handel must nevertheless have and joy; exhilarating choral singing, inventive playing from the King’s Theatre in the Haymarket remained anxious to give the anthem a life and the ability to deliver solo arias with panache, (the usual venue for opera) to the new theatre beyond its single performance at the Queen’s epitomized on this highlights disc in the bass duet (The at Covent Garden. The absurdity and expense funeral, and soon he (or perhaps Jennens Lord is a man of war) sung by Robert Evans and Simon of two contending opera companies in again) had the idea of using it as the first part Birchall, who, for many years now, have exemplified that London soon became obvious, and in 1737 the of a new oratorio. A few verbal changes Sixteen spirit. Nobility Opera was abandoned. Handel was converted the anthem into The Lamentations To the choir, orchestra, office, board and all our able to return to the King’s Theatre, though of the Israelites for the Death of Joseph (the followers, thank you for your support. he shared the season with the Italian opening words became “The sons of Israel do composer Pescetti, the latter perhaps a mourn”), inviting a continuation dealing with nominee of the Nobility Opera supporters. the fate of the Israelites enslaved in Egypt and The operatic successes of former times their deliverance under the leadership of proved elusive, however: the season was Moses. The scriptural text of the anthem interrupted by the Queen’s death and was prompted the use of biblical texts for the rest 2 3 of the oratorio, an unprecedented step which Israel in Egypt had a mixed reception. published the oratorio for the first time, reinforcing the more usual trumpets and Handel was to repeat only in Messiah. There were those who appreciated its novel printing only the newly-composed Parts 2 and drums, often gives splendid weight to the Composition of what was eventually to use of scriptural text and the “Sublimity of 3, and thus inadvertently giving the work the sound. There are several delightful touches, become Israel in Egypt proceeded quickly. the great Musical Poet’s Imagination”, but two-part form in which it was taken up in the such as the flutes briefly evoking a pastoral Between 1 and 11 October Handel drafted a others (no doubt those who preferred the nineteenth century. In that form it became the mood to the words “he led them forth like setting of verses 1-21 of chapter 15 of Exodus, Italian opera) found the long succession of invariable partner of Messiah in the massive sheep” and the “buzzing” of the violins to which, under the title of “Moses’ Song”, choral movements hard to take. For the Handel Festivals held in the Crystal Palace at illustrate the plague of flies. The depiction became the conclusion of the oratorio. Four second and third performances, on 11 and 17 Sydenham between 1857 and 1926 and has of the plague of darkness is especially days later he began the draft of what he called April, the work was advertised as “shortened remained a great favourite with choral memorable: eerie, unsettled harmonies “Part ye 2 of Exodus” (suggesting that and intermixed with Songs”, the “songs” societies and their audiences. The extent and coloured by the lugubrious tones of low “Exodus” was originally intended as the title being three Italian arias which handle had variety of its choruses, and its purely scriptural strings and bassoons, usher in the choral of the whole oratorio) and completed it on previously introduced into Esther and an text – the very features which had caused its voices, which soon break up into fragments the 20 October. (The words for this section English aria (“Through the land”) derived cool reception in 1739 – became the reasons of recitative as if blindly wandering away may have been compiled by Jennens.) The from the discarded aria “Bramo di trionfar” for its popularity. from each other. orchestration of the newly composed parts in Alcina. There was a single revival in 1740. This version begins with a tenor recitative The final part, “Moses’ Song”, celebrates was finished on 1 November. On 16 January In 1746 Handel drew upon Israel in Egypt for announcing a new ruler in Egypt in place of the Israelites’ miraculous crossing of the Red 1739 the new season at the King’s Theatre three choruses and an aria in his Occasional Joseph, and from then on it is mainly the Sea. The opening orchestral introduction, opened with Saul. After some revivals of Oratorio, adding another aria to the same chorus which has the burden of narrating the with a repeated phrase leaping unexpectedly earlier works, Israel in Egypt followed on 4 work in 1747, but he never revived it in its story of the ten plagues that fall on the from one tonality to another, is striking April. The original soloists (sho would also original form. At the time of the next revival, Egyptians and force them to release the enough, but is swiftly capped as it leads into have sung in the choruses) were the soprano at Covent Garden in 1756, Handel was Israelites from slavery. (Their land brought the superb chorus “I will sing unto the Lord”, Elisabeth du Parc (known as La Franchesina), prevented by blindness from directing his forth frogs”, with its wittily hopping violins, one of those truly great Handelian movements the counter-tenor William Savage, the tenor own concerts and had passed the job to the is the only aria in this part of the oratorio.) in which thematic material of the most John Beard and the basses Gustavus Waltz younger John Christopher Smith. For this, Handel draws an amazing range of dramatic elemental nature is extended and combined to and Henry Reinhold.

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