There's never been a complete, professional recording of Joseph and his Brethren, a neglect out of proportion to the merits of its music.
It's full of good and characteristic things, and there...

Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

More reviews

Handel: Joseph and his Brethren

Name: Handel: Joseph and his Brethren
Price: 40.5 USD
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Yvonne Kenny (soprano), James Bowman (countertenor), Catherine Denley (contralto), Michael George (bass), Connor Burrowes (treble), John Mark Ainsley (tenor)

The King's Consort, Choir of The King's Consort, New College Choir, Oxford, Robert King

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There's never been a complete, professional recording of Joseph and his Brethren, a neglect out of proportion to the merits of its music.
It's full of good and characteristic things, and there...

Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

More reviews

About

Joseph and his Brethren, the latest in The King's Consort's mammoth series of recordings of the grand oratorios of Handel, tells the story of Joseph, sold into slavery by his perfidious brothers, winning acceptance at the court of Pharaoh in Egypt by his interpretation of the dreams foretelling seven years of plenty, and seven of famine. His brothers come from drought-ridden Israel to beg for food, and are eventually reunited with Joseph. The work is characteristically full of melodic invention and drama, culminating in the scene between Joseph and his youngestand innocentbrother Benjamin (here sung by the stunning treble Connor Burrowes) in which Joseph is emotionally overcome and admits his true identity. No wonder the work was so warmly received at its first performance.

Label: Hyperion
Catalogue number: CDA67171-3
Length: 2 hours 43 minutes
Genre:
- Oratorios & Passions

Contents and tracklist

Handel: Joseph and his Brethren

Work length2:43:30

Yvonne Kenny (soprano), James Bowman (countertenor), Catherine Denley (contralto), John Mark Ainsley (tenor), Michael George (bass), Connor Burrowes (treble)
King's Consort, New College Choir Oxford ; King's Consort Choir
Robert King

Part 1 Overture. Andante – Larghetto – Allegro – Menuet

Track length6:55

Part 1 Scene 1. Air. Be firm, my soul! nor faint beneath (Joseph)

Track length5:33

Part 1 Scene 2 No 1. Recitative. Joseph, thy fame has reach'd great Pharaoh's ear (Phanor / Joseph)

Track length0:46

Part 1 Scene 2 No 2. Air. Come, divine inspirer, come (Joseph)

Track length5:05

Part 1 Scene 2 No 3. Recitative. Pardon, that I so long forgot thee, Joseph! (Phanor / Joseph)

Track length0:54

Part 1 Scene 2 No 4. Air. Ingratitude's the queen of crimes (Phanor)

Track length2:14

Part 1 Scene 3 No 1. Recitative. Thus, stranger, I have laid my troubled thoughts (Pharaoh / Joseph)

Track length0:40

Part 1 Scene 3 No 2. Chorus. O God of Joseph, gracious shed thy spirit on thy servant's head (Egyptians)

Track length1:45

Part 1 Scene 3 No 3. Accompagnato. Pharaoh, thy dreams are one (Joseph)

Track length2:25

Part 1 Scene 3 No 4. Recitative. Divine interpreter! What oracle (Pharaoh / Joseph)

Track length0:39

Part 1 Scene 3 No 5. Air. O lovely youth, with wisdom crown'd (Asenath)

Track length4:01

Part 1 Scene 3 No 6. Recitative. Wear, worthy man, this Royal signet wear (Pharaoh)

Track length0:33

Part 1 Scene 3 No 7. Chorus. Joyful sounds, melodious strain! (Egyptians)

Track length2:57

Part 1 Scene 4 No 1. Recitative. Whence this unwonted ardour in my breast? (Asenath)

Track length0:23

Part 1 Scene 4 No 2. Air. I feel a spreading flame within my veins (Asenath)

Track length7:16

Part 1 Scene 4 No 3. Recitative. Fair Asenath (Joseph / Pharaoh / Potiphera / Asenath))

Track length1:08

Part 1 Scene 5 No 1. Duet. Celestial virgin! Godlike youth! (Joseph / Asenath)

Track length2:46

Part 1 Scene 5 No 2. Recitative. Now, Potiphera, instant to the temple (Pharaoh)

Track length0:15

Part 1 Scene 5 No 3. Grand march during the procession

Track length1:28

Part 1 Scene 6 No 1. Recitative. 'Tis done, – the sacred knot is tied (High Priest)

Track length0:12

Part 1 Scene 6 No 2. Chorus. Immortal pleasures crown this pair (Egyptians)

Track length2:19

Part 1 Scene 6 No 3. Recitative. Glorious and happy is thy lot, O Zaphnath! (Pharaoh)

Track length0:12

Part 1 Scene 6 No 4. Air. Since the race of time begun (Pharaoh)

Track length2:25

Part 1 Scene 6 No 5. Chorus. Swift our numbers, swiftly roll (Egyptians)

Track length2:39

Part 2 Scene 1 No 1. Chorus. Hail, thou youth, by Heaven belov'd! (Egyptians)

Track length4:18

Part 2 Scene 1 No 2. Recitative. How vast a theme has Egypt for applause! (Phanor / Asenath)

Track length1:06

Part 2 Scene 1 No 3. Air. Our fruits, whilst yet in blossom, die (Asenath)

Track length4:07

Part 2 Scene 1 No 4. Recitative. He's Egypt's common parent, gives her bread (Phanor)

Track length0:17

Part 2 Scene 1 No 5. Chorus. Blest be the man by pow'r unstain'd (Egyptians)

Track length4:06

Part 2 Scene 1 No 6. Recitative. Phanor, we mention not his highest glory! (Asenath / Phanor)

Track length1:28

Part 2 Scene 1 No 7. Air. Together, lovely innocents, grow up (Asenath)

Track length3:05

Part 2 Scene 1 No 8. Recitative. He then is silent, then again exclaims (Asenath)

Track length0:37

Part 2 Scene 2 No 1. Accompagnato. Where are these brethren … why this base delay? (Simeon)

Track length1:56

Part 2 Scene 2 No 2. Air. Remorse, confusion, horror, fear (Simeon)

Track length1:56

Part 2 Scene 3 No 1. Recitative. This Hebrew prisoner (Phanor / Joseph)

Track length0:34

Part 2 Scene 3 No 2. Accompagnato. Ye departed hours (Joseph)

Track length2:03

Part 2 Scene 3 No 3. Air. The peasant tastes the sweets of life (Joseph)

Track length7:45

Part 2 Scene 3 No 4 / Scene 4 No 1. Recitative. But Simeon comes (Joseph / Simeon)

Track length3:42

Part 2 Scene 4 No 2. Air. Impostor! Ah! my foul offence (Simeon)

Track length2:56

Part 2 Scene 5 No 1. Recitative. Whence, Asenath, this grief that hangs upon thee (Joseph / Asenath)

Track length0:44

Part 2 Scene 5 No 2. Air. The silver stream, that all its way (Asenath)

Track length4:52

Part 2 Scene 5 No 3 / Scene 6 No 1. Recitative. Tell me, O tell me thy heart's malady (Asenath / Joseph / Phanor / Judah)

Track length1:26

Part 2 Scene 6 No 2. Air. To keep afar from all offence (Judah)

Track length3:42

Part 2 Scene 6 No 3. Chorus. Thus one, with ev'ry virtue crown'd (Brethren)

Track length1:03

Part 2 Scene 7 No 1. Accompagnato. Once more, O pious Zaphnath, at thy feet (Reuben / Judah)

Track length1:38

Part 2 Scene 7 No 2. Recitative. This kiss, my gracious Lord (Benjamin / Joseph / Judah)

Track length1:20

Part 2 Scene 7 No 3. Air. Thou deign'st to call thy servant 'son' (Benjamin)

Track length2:23

Part 2 Scene 7 No 4. Recitative. Sweet innocence! divine simplicity! (Joseph / Benjamin / Reuben / Judah)

Track length1:22

Part 2 Scene 7 No 5. Chorus. O God, who in thy heav'nly hand (Brethren)

Track length4:14

Part 3 Overture. Sinfonia. Allegro

Track length1:28

Part 3 Scene 1 No 1. Recitative. What say'st thou, Phanor? Prove these strangers then (Asenath / Phanor)

Track length0:27

Part 3 Scene 1 No 2. Air. The wanton favours of the great (Phanor)

Track length1:34

Part 3 Scene 2 No 1. Recitative. Whence so disturb'd, my Lord? Let not the crime (Asenath / Joseph)

Track length0:46

Part 3 Scene 2 No 2. Air. Ah Jealousy, thou pelican (Asenath)

Track length4:39

Part 3 Scene 2 No 3. Recitative. O wrong me not! thy Zaphnath never harbour'd (Joseph / Asenath)

Track length1:20

Part 3 Scene 2 No 4. Air. The people's favour, and the smiles of pow'r (Joseph)

Track length3:28

Part 3 Scene 2 No 5. Recitative. Art thou not Zaphnath? Is not Egypt sav'd (Asenath)

Track length0:25

Part 3 Scene 2 No 6. Air. Prophetic raptures swell my breast (Asenath)

Track length7:27

Part 3 Scene 2 No 7 / Scene 3 / Scene 4 No 1. Recitative. They come, – and indignation in their looks (Joseph / Simeon / Phanor / Benjamin)

Track length1:30

Part 3 Scene 4 No 2. Accompagnato. What! without me? Ah, how return in peace! (Benjamin)

Track length0:52

Part 3 Scene 4 No 3. Arioso. O pity! (Benjamin / Joseph)

Track length2:49

Part 3 Scene 4 No 4. Recitative. To prison with him! (Joseph / Simeon / Reuben)

Track length1:50

Part 3 Scene 4 No 5. Arioso. O gracious God (Simeon)

Track length1:15

Part 3 Scene 4 No 6. Chorus. Eternal Monarch of the sky (Brethren)

Track length3:16

Part 3 Scene 5 No 1. But peace, Zaphnath returns (Simeon / Joseph / Judah)

Track length1:50

Part 3 Scene 5 No 2. Air. Thou hadst, my Lord (Simeon)

Track length1:58

Part 3 Scene 5 No 3. Recitative. Give, give him up the lad (Simeon)

Track length0:56

Part 3 Scene 5 No 4. Recitative. I can no longer (Joseph / Brethren)

Track length1:31

Part 3 Scene 6 No 1. Recitative. Whilst the Nile and Memphis (Asenath / Joseph)

Track length0:45

Part 3 Scene 6 No 2. Duet. What's sweeter than the new-blown rose? (Asenath / Joseph)

Track length2:54

Part 3 Scene 6 No 3. Recitative. With songs of ardent gratitude and praise (Joseph)

Track length0:19

Part 3 Scene 6 No 4. Chorus. Alleluia. We will rejoice in thy salvation

Track length2:01

Awards and reviews

2010

There's never been a complete, professional recording of Joseph and his Brethren, a neglect out of proportion to the merits of its music.
It's full of good and characteristic things, and there are several scenes, including the extended denouement in the last act, that are very moving.
The work begins splendidly, with an unusual overture heralding a deeply felt opening scene for Joseph, languishing in an Egyptian prison. The setting of his prophecy is effective, with seven bars of darting arpeggios for the years of plenty and seven of sparse harmonic writing, adagio, for the famine years.
The rest of Act 1 celebrates Joseph's foresight, preferment and marriage to Asenath, Pharaoh's daughter. The highlights of Act 2 include a prison scene for Simeon, an agonised G minor accompanied recitative and aria, a beautiful, nostalgic idyll for Joseph, and scenes for Joseph with his brothers which incorporate a splendid outburst from Simeon, an aria from Benjamin and a moving chorus from the brothers, a sustained prayer and a richly worked fugue.
The soloists dispatch all this music with spirit and accuracy. James Bowman is in excellent voice in the title-role, full, rich and duly agile in the rapid music. Joseph is well suited to Robert King's way of conducting Handel. This isn't a specially dramatic performance, but carefully moulded and intelligently paced. The choir produces a sound that's bright and firm and the singing is resolute. King is particularly good at shaping the dynamics in a natural and unanimous way.

I have no reservations about encouraging anyone interested in Handel to buy this set and to acquaint themselves with the many delights of this grossly neglected work

Handel: Joseph and his Brethren

Handel: Joseph and his Brethren

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Contents and tracklist

Awards and reviews

2010

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