In 1733, the emergence of a rival opera company led George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) to seek a new audience by writing English-language oratorios. ISRAEL IN EGYPT, HWV 54, serves as one of the finest examples of this work, composed within a single month in the autumn of 1738. The libretto, a blending of passages from the Old Testament, mainly from Exodus and Psalms, was probably authored by Charles Jenners. It premiered at the King�s Theatre in London on April 4, the following year, in a concert which also included some of his organ concerti which he himself performed. Following its initial failure, Handel revised the piece by cutting the first section and adding some Italian-style arias. The two-part form is here arranged by Friedrich Chrysander in this Kalmus edition. Instrumentation: 2.2.0.2: 0.2.3.0: Timp: Org: Hpchd: Str (2.2.2.1.1 in set): Solo SATB, Mx Chor.