GEORGE FRIEDRICH HANDEL:

JOSEPH & HIS BRETHREN

with Diana Moore, Sherezade Panthaki, Gabrielle Haigh, Abigail Levis & Philip Cutlip

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

Nicholas McGegan, conductor

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

ABOUT THE ALBUM

Nicholas McGegan has been called a “Handel master” by The San Francisco Chronicle and is considered a foremost Handel interpreter throughout the world. So who better to present the rarely performed Joseph and his Brethren than Nicholas McGegan and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale? Handel’s unfairly neglected—yet splendid—oratorio depicts the grandeur of Pharaoh’s court in an intriguing plot of familial conflict and mistaken identity. Joseph and his Brethren tells the Biblical story of Joseph and his reconciliation with his Jewish family in Egypt. With a cast including Diana Moore and Nicholas Phan, Nicholas McGegan and his historically informed Orchestra and Chorale present a lively studio recording of the program that delighted audiences and critics alike. Under the direction of Nicholas McGregan since 1985, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale is recognized as America’s leading historically informed ensemble. Using authentic instruments and stylistic conventions of the Baroque to early Romantic periods, the Orchestra engages audiences through performance, tours, recordings, commissions, and education of the highest standard.

CRITICAL ACCLIAM

GRAMOPHONE

“The standout for me is Nicholas Phan’s intense, impassioned portrayal of Simeon. His tormented ‘Impostor! Ah my foul offence’ is a highlight of the whole performance.”

MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL

“Nicholas Phan is perfectly cast as Joseph’s guilt-ridden brother Simeon. He sings his music with a bright, open tone which he imbues with an appropriate sense of foreboding and self-recrimination.”