Laura Albino
Nils Brown
Jennifer Enns Modolo
Peter Mahon
Eve Rachel McLeod
Jason Nedecky
Bud Roach
Jennie Such
Sean Watson
Aradia Ensemble, Kevin Mallon (conductor)


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’.

“We owe a great deal to Naxos for discovering and promoting hidden talent. Their patronage has revealed the excellent Toronto-based Aradia Ensemble and Kevin Mallon, their director. Their accompaniment here is rhythmically well-sprung and thoughtfully but discreetly phrased.” BBC Music Magazine on 8.557852