The Text, with a Musical Commentary

˚See simple glossary at the end of this commentary which explains some of the technical musical terms.

Part 1

Unusually, Handel doesn’t bother with an overture to this work, but opens, somewhat undramatically, with a simple secco˚ recitative for the tenor, launching straight into the action. (Traditionally in oratorio the tenor voice is used for that of general narrator, or Evangelist in the case of the Passions, unless a specific character is being represented.)

Recitative* Tenor

Exodus 1, vv 8, 11, 13

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph; and he set over Israel task-masters to afflict them with burdens; and they made them serve with rigour.

This first chorus is steady, almost plodding, and in compound duple˚ time. The music is introduced by the altos, and many of the subsequent entries are imitative. Handel varies the texture between smaller groups of voices and all eight parts at once, both in counterpoint˚ and homophonically. This is the first time that Handel has written a movement for double choir since his psalm setting of Nisi Dominus written in 1707, some 32 years earlier.

Chorus* SATB

Exodus 2, v 23

And the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and their cry came up unto God. They oppressed them with burdens and made them serve with rigour; and their cry came up unto God.

The tenor progresses the story with another short passage of secco recitative.

Recitative Tenor

Psalm 105, vv 26, 27, 29

Then sent He Moses, His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen; these shewed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. He turned their waters into blood.

From here on, and for the foreseeable future, the burden of the narrative falls unusually on the chorus, Handel no doubt wishing to exploit the much greater scope for dramatic writing that a double chorus affords than that of a single voice. As we shall see, Handel draws on an extensive range of dramatic effects with his choral and instrumental writing. This chorus is fugal˚ but the fugue subject, heard first in the tenors and passing in turn to the altos, sopranos and basses, is angular and uncomfortable in its shape, relying on large melodic intervals and falling chromaticism. Handel portrays the reluctance of the Israelites in the jagged musical shapes of the melody. The music for this movement is partly parodied˚ from one of Handel’s earlier keyboard fugues.

Chorus SATB

Exodus 7, vv 18, 19

They loathed to drink of the river. He turned their waters into blood.

The first of several arias, this movement has a restless, jumpy, unpredictable and yet witty accompaniment, based on a dotted rhythmic feature and played out between the first and second violins. Here Handel is painting a musical picture in the background to illustrate the text in the foreground.

Aria* Alto

Psalm 105, v 30
Psalm 78, vv 48, 50
Exodus 9, v 9

Their land brought forth frogs, yea, even in their King’s chambers.

He gave their cattle over to the pestilence; blotches and blains broke forth on man and beast.