Israel in Egypt
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Israel in Egypt, HWV 54, is a biblical oratorio by the composer George Frideric Handel. Most scholars believe the libretto was prepared by Charles Jennens, who also compiled the biblical texts for Handel's Messiah. It is composed entirely of selected passages from the Old Testament, mainly from Exodus and the Psalms.
The Kings Theatre, London, in the Haymarket, where Israel in Egypt was first performed
The Israelites Mourn, from a 1728 illustrated Bible
Martin, John – The Seventh Plague – 1823
Messiah (Handel)
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Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel. The text was compiled from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter by Charles Jennens. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.
Title page of Handel's autograph score
Statue erected in Handel's honour, in Vauxhall Gardens, London; now in the Victoria and Albert Museum
A portrait of Charles Jennens by Thomas Hudson from around 1740; now in the Handel House Museum
The Great Music Hall in Fishamble Street, Dublin, where Messiah was first performed