William Christie and Les Arts Florissants brought Handel’s “Israel in Egypt” to life in Saanen’s village church

Thunderstorms, frogs, locust swarms, and darkness over the land—followed by the death of Egypt’s firstborns. These are not scenes from a modern-day drama, but the biblical plagues as rendered by George Frideric Handel in his monumental oratorio, Israel in Egypt. On Monday evening, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival opened its final summer under the Artistic Direction of Christoph Müller with this deeply evocative work, performed by the renowned French ensemble Les Arts Florissants under the baton of its founder, William Christie.

From the opening bars, Christie set a high vibrational tone—physically throwing himself into the music, driving the strings forward, and drawing intense energy from the more than 60-strong choir and orchestra. The result: a dynamic, emotionally charged soundscape that turned Handel’s choral masterpiece into an unforgettable journey of exile and hope.

A choral powerhouse with dramatic flair
Although Handel originally conceived Israel in Egypt as a near-continuous choral work, the Gstaad performance introduced subtle variations, incorporating duets and quartets in place of some larger choruses. This proved an artistic advantage: not only did it give room to the world-class soloists—whose voices deserved every second of spotlight—but it also offered a welcome contrast to the oratorio’s extended sequences of choral praise.

Each choral movement was presented like a self-contained vignette, a musical tableau bursting with detail and vitality. Christie, now 80 and as vigorous as ever, brought clarity and passion to the performance. Known for his pioneering work in historical performance and for reviving French Baroque repertoire, the American-born conductor has led Les Arts Florissants since its founding in 1979. Their cohesion and stylistic precision were on full display.

Vocal highlights and luminous solos
Performing a work composed in 18th-century English presents a unique challenge to a French-speaking ensemble. Yet the vocal artistry of Les Arts Florissants prevailed, with the choir’s diction, blend, and sensitivity to musical nuance creating moments of shimmering intensity. Particularly striking were their explorations of Renaissance-style polyphony, lyrical arias, and cleanly executed baroque fugues.

Among the soloists, each brought distinctive colour to the performance. Soprano Emmanuelle de Negri dazzled with ornamented phrasing; contralto Jasmin White balanced depth and clarity with effortless control; tenor Moritz Kallenberg delivered drama with gleaming resonance; and baritone Matthieu Walendzik gave a finely shaded performance, even in the score’s darker passages. In a nice touch, two choir members stepped out for duet solos, further underlining the ensemble’s depth of talent.

Conducting with colour—and red socks
Christie conducted with the vigour of someone half his age, animated and assured even during the thunderous trumpet and timpani passages. Yet he also allowed for moments of reflection and softness, encouraging the orchestra to explore the full range from ecstatic climax to fragile stillness. And yes, his trademark red socks made another welcome appearance in Saanen.

A note on text and context
As always with biblical oratorios, the question of context lingers. The text of Moses’ Song of Triumph, celebrating the destruction of the Egyptians, raises complex resonances in light of today’s global conflicts. Handel’s libretto, drawn entirely from the Old Testament and premiered in 1739, was a product of its time. A contemporary librettist might approach such imagery with more caution.

A wish fulfilled
But in the moment, none of this detracted from the sheer musical power of the evening. A full house rose to its feet in prolonged ovation. With the “Wandel” cycle now turning its focus to Migration, Israel in Egypt served as a powerful opening chapter in the festival’s concluding theme, Escape to Exile. For Christoph Müller, who steps down after this summer, the performance was the fulfilment of a long-held dream—and a fittingly grand start to his final season.

Click to see the 2025 program

By Svend Peternell for AvS
All photos by Raphael Faux | Gstaad Menuhin Festival