George Frideric Handel - Israel in Egypt (Hervé Niquet)

Information

Composer: George Frideric Handel

• Israel in Egypt, HWV 54

Myriam Leblanc; Lucie Edel

Lena Sutor-Wernich; Laurence Kilsby

Andreas Wolf; Alexandre Baldo

Le Concert Spirituel

Hervé Niquet, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: Alpha Classics

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Handel’s Israel in Egypt, first performed in 1739, originally existed in three parts and may have been composed before a complete text was finalized. Conductor Hervé Niquet and Le Concert Spirituel instead adopt the two-part version—The Exodus and The Song of Moses—favored throughout the 19th century, including by Berlioz. Recorded shortly after the Covid pandemic, the project captures the ensemble’s renewed joy in making music together. Niquet describes the final chorus as a unified cry of happiness, emphasizing the vivid dramatic power in the work, where two choirs positioned on either side of the orchestra engage in striking musical dialogue and theatrical intensity.

Hervé Niquet (b. 1957) is a versatile French musician—harpsichordist, organist, pianist, singer, composer, choirmaster and conductor—renowned for his expertise in French repertoire from the Baroque era to Debussy. He founded Le Concert Spirituel in 1987 to revive the French grand motet, and the ensemble has since become a leading force in historically informed performance, earning distinctions such as the Liliane Bettencourt Prize for Choral Singing. Niquet also conducts major international orchestras, exploring 19th- and early 20th-century works. Dedicated to education, he teaches at major institutions and directs training initiatives. His distinguished career has been recognized with prestigious honors and awards.