Aradia Ensemble

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’.

Vivaldi’s sacred music occupies a place of honour in his vast output, dovetailing passages of great tenderness and sombre beauty, rich in cantabile expressiveness, with highly operatic movements of colourful and exciting virtuosity.

Volume 3 of the complete sacred music features the final and expanded version of Vivaldi’s G minor setting of the Magnificat, his setting of the Vespers Psalm 126, Nisi Dominus, with its strongly characterized instrumental accompaniment, and the dramatic yet poignant Roman motet, In furore iustissimae irae (In the fury of most righteous anger Thou showest thy divine power).