HANDEL Israel in Egypt

“…The period-instrument pioneer Jeannette Sorrell has made a series of judicious cuts throughout the manuscript while keeping the structure intact. The outcome is full of incident and colour, that never flags. Sorrell’s concision is intelligent and her Apollo’s Fire ensemble and singers are fiercely engaged. Sorrell herself is a singular presence, striking her own path in Cleveland and showing there is room in one post-industrial city for two world-class orchestras playing in very different styles. This becomes my preferred version of Israel in Egypt… This celebration of redemption needs to be more widely performed, especially in times like these.”
– Norman Lebrecht, THE CRITIC MAGAZINE [ READ MORE ]

“Thrilling… Apollo’s Fire, playing on period instruments, are magnificent… hopping about as frogs, buzzing away as flies. The tutti passages, with trumpets, trombones and timpani, ring forth in Georgian splendour. Jeannette Sorrell conducts her own version of the oratorio with energy and sensitivity. Apollo’s Singers is a choir of impressive versatility.”
– GRAMOPHONE

“Sorrell’s interpretation is as original as her editing. She navigates this epic boldly, with edgy tempos, provocative dynamics and flawless pacing. Laurels also go to the band Apollo’s Fire.. and to the choir Apollo’s Singers, whose superb technique and dramatic flair likewise serve Sorrell’s vision. The luminosity of velvet-toned baritone Edward Vogel’s ‘To God our strength’ is due partly to his lightening of vocal texture in the playful second part of the air. This recording is a powerful argument for ‘Sorrell’s’ Israel in Egypt.”
– BBC CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE [ READ MORE ]

“Thrilling… Sorrell is a masterful musical storyteller. Her adaptation [of Israel in Egypt] gives the work a coherent, compelling dramatic arc, brought off brilliantly by her singers and players. The life and dramatic meaning [are] foremost… a thrilling reminder of Handel’s greatness. Sorrell’s adaptation and conducting could open up a new era of appreciation for this great, undervalued oratorio.”
– SEEN & HEARD INTERNATIONAL, UK

“Dramatically effective and beautifully executed. The tour-de-force choral finale [is] dispatched with aplomb in the laser-like accuracy of 16th note melisimas. The phrases pile one atop another, wave after wave, to great effect as the horse and his rider are thrown into a swirling sea of masterfully controlled counterpoint. Jacob Perry tosses off the only tenor aria in the whole work with panache. “Frogs” is sung by Daniel Moody with superb textual declamation, clarity of line, and a playfully ornamented “hopping about” in his final cadenza. The bass aria… is sublimely introduced by solo trumpet and oboe, matched perfectly in tone and timbre by Steven Marquardt and Debra Nagy. Apollo Fire’s nimble violins.”
– EARLY MUSIC AMERICA [ READ MORE ]

“Sorrell’s version restores Handel’s original tripartite structure, in an attempt to capture the intended dramatic arc from sorrow to jubilation… The result is gripping. It is hard to find enough superlatives for the performance of the Apollo’s Fire vocal forces. They [meet] Handel’s many demands with aplomb, singing with superb pitch, balance, sweep, and diction.”
– CHICAGO CLASSICAL REVIEW [ READ MORE ]

“A triumphant musical journey – a display of the startling abilities of the orchestra’s musical sounds and solo and choral performances. A powerful emotional journey and an audience pleaser.” [ READ MORE ]
– COOLCLEVELAND