Template:Short description Template:Infobox musical composition Elijah (Template:Langx), Op. 70, MWV A 25, is an oratorio by Felix Mendelssohn depicting events in the life of the Prophet Elijah as told in the books 1 Kings and 2 Kings of the Old Testament. It premiered on 26 August 1846.
Music and its styleEdit
This piece was composed in the spirit of Mendelssohn's Baroque predecessors Bach and Handel, whose music he greatly admired. In 1829 Mendelssohn had organized the first performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion since the composer's death and was instrumental in bringing this and other Bach works to widespread popularity. By contrast, Handel's oratorios never went out of fashion in England. Mendelssohn prepared a scholarly edition of some of Handel's oratorios for publication in London. Elijah is modelled on the oratorios of these two Baroque masters; however, in its lyricism and use of orchestral and choral colour the style clearly reflects Mendelssohn's own skill as an early Romantic composer.Template:Citation needed
The work is scored for eight vocal soloists (two each of bass, tenor, alto, soprano), full symphony orchestra including 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, ophicleide, timpani, organ and strings and a large chorus usually singing in four, but occasionally eight parts. The title role was sung at the premiere by the Austrian bass Josef Staudigl.<ref>Todd, R. Larry (1991). Mendelssohn and His World, p. 304. Princeton University Press</ref>
Mendelssohn had discussed an oratorio based on Elijah in the late 1830s with his friend Karl Klingemann, who had provided him with the libretto for his comic operetta Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde,<ref name=Boston>Program notes for Concert Opera Boston performance of Son and Stranger, March 15, 2009, accessed November 23, 2009</ref> which resulted in a partial text that Klingemann was unable to finish. Mendelssohn then turned to Template:Ill, the librettist for his earlier oratorio St. Paul, who quickly abandoned Klingemann's work and produced his own text that combined the story of Elijah as told in the Book of Kings with psalms. In 1845, the Birmingham Festival commissioned an oratorio from Mendelssohn, who worked with Schubring to put the text in final form and in 1845 and 1846 composed his oratorio to the German and English texts in parallel, taking care to change musical phrases to suit the rhythms and stresses of the translation by William Bartholomew, a chemist who was also an experienced amateur poet and composer.<ref>Temperley, Nicholas (1998) Programme note to the complete English recording of the oratorio (Decca Records)</ref>
The oratorio was first performed on 26 August 1846 at Birmingham Town Hall in its English version, conducted by the composer, and it was immediately acclaimed a classic of the genre. As The Times critic wrote: 'Never was there a more complete triumph – never a more thorough and speedy recognition of a great work of art'.<ref>The Times (anonymous critic), 27 August 1846</ref> Notwithstanding the work's triumph, Mendelssohn revised his oratorio wholesale before another group of performances in London in April 1847 – one (23 April) in the presence of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The German version was first performed on the composer's birthday, 3 February 1848, in Leipzig, a few months after Mendelssohn's death, under the baton of the composer Niels Gade.
Biblical narrativeEdit
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Mendelssohn uses biblical episodes relating to Elijah, which in the original, Template:Sourcetext and Template:Sourcetext, are narrated in rather laconic form, to produce intensely dramatic scenes, while adding several related biblical texts, mostly taken from the Old Testament. These were doubtless well fitted to the taste of Mendelssohn's time, and a Victorian sentimentality also seems detectable in places.
Among the episodes is the resurrection of a dead youth. A dramatic episode is the contest of the gods, in which Jehovah consumes an offered sacrifice in a column of fire, while a sequence of increasingly frantic prayers by the prophets of the god Baal failed. Part I is concluded by the bringing of rain to parched Israel through Elijah's prayers. Part II depicts the persecution of Elijah by Queen Jezebel, his retirement to the desert, his vision of God appearing, his return to his work, and his ascension on a fiery chariot into heaven. The work ends with prophecies and praise.
StructureEdit
The work in two parts opens with a declamation by Elijah, after which the overture is played. The sections are listed in the following table, with the text in both German and English, a biblical source for the passage (the dramatic action highlighted by a background colour), and the voices. The choir is mostly four-part SATB, but up to eight parts. The soloists are Elijah (baritone); soprano (S), singing the Widow, the Youth (sometimes taken by a boy treble) and Angel II; alto (A), singing Angel I and the Queen; and tenor (T), singing the parts of Obadiah and Ahab. The work is often performed with four soloists.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Better source needed
Some movements are simple oratorio forms such as recitative and aria, others explore hybrid combinations, such as recitative with choir, for dramatic effect. The fugal overture leads attacca to the first choral movement. The choir acts as the people ("Das Volk"), but also comments, like the choir in Greek drama. The narrative passages from the books of Kings are highlighted by green background.
| No. | Description | Incipit | Translation | Text source | Voices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction | lang}} | As God the Lord of Israel liveth | Template:Sourcetext | Elijah | |
| Overture | |||||
| 1 | Chorus | lang}} | Help, Lord! | Template:Sourcetext & Template:Sourcetext | SATB |
| 2 | Duet with choir | lang}} | Lord! bow thine ear to our prayer! | Template:Sourcetext & Template:Sourcetext | S S SATB |
| 3 | Recitative | lang}} | Ye people, rend your hearts | Template:Sourcetext | Obadiah |
| 4 | Aria | lang}} | If with all your hearts | Template:Sourcetext & Template:Sourcetext | Obadiah |
| 5 | Chorus | lang}} | Yet doth the Lord see it not | Template:Sourcetext | SATB |
| 6 | Recitative | lang}} | Elijah! get thee hence | Template:Sourcetext | Angel I |
| 7 | Octet | lang}} | For he shall give his angels | Psalm 91:11-12 | Angels: SSAATTBB |
| Recitative | lang}} | Now Cherith's brook is dried up | Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, & Template:Sourcetext | Angel I | |
| 8 | Recitative, aria and duet | lang}} | What have I to do with thee? | Template:Sourcetext, Psalm 38:6, Psalm 86:15, Psalm 88:10 & Psalm 128:1 | Widow, Elijah |
| 9 | Chorus | lang}} | Blessed are the men who fear him | Psalm 128:1, Psalm 112:1,4 | SATB |
| 10 | Recitative with choir | lang}} | As God the Lord of Sabaoth liveth | Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, & Template:Sourcetext | Elijah, Ahab, SATB |
| 11 | Chorus | lang}} | Baal, we cry to thee; hear and answer us! | Template:Sourcetext | SSAATTBB |
| 12 | Recitative with choir | lang}} | Call him louder, for he is a god! | Template:Sourcetext | Elijah, SATB |
| 13 | Recitative with choir | lang}} | Call him louder! he heareth not! | Template:Sourcetext | Elijah, SATB |
| 14 | Aria | lang}} | Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel! | Template:Sourcetext | Elijah, SATB |
| 15 | Quartet | lang}} | Cast thy burden upon the Lord | Psalm 55:22, Psalm 16:8, Psalm 108:5, & Psalm 25:3 | S A T B |
| 16 | Recitative with choir | lang}} | O thou, who makest thine angels spirits (The fire descends) | Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext | Elijah, SATB |
| 17 | Aria | lang}} | Is not his word like a fire? | Template:Sourcetext & Psalm 7:11-12 | Elijah |
| 18 | Arioso | lang}} | Woe unto them who forsake him! | Template:Sourcetext | A |
| 19 | Recitative with choir | lang}} | O man of God, help thy people! | Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, & Psalm 28:1 | Obadiah, Elijah, SATB, Youth |
| 20 | Chorus | lang}} | Thanks be to God | Psalm 93:3-4 | SATB |
| No. | Description | Incipit | Translation | Source | Voices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Aria | lang}} | Hear ye, Israel! | Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, & Template:Sourcetext | S |
| 22 | Chorus | lang}} | Be not afraid, saith God the Lord | Template:Sourcetext & Psalm 91:7 | SATB |
| 23 | Recitative with choir | lang}} | The Lord hath exalted thee | Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, & Template:Sourcetext | Elijah, Queen, SATB |
| 24 | Chorus | lang}} | Woe to him, he shall perish | Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, & Template:Sourcetext | SATB |
| 25 | Recitative | lang}} | Man of God, now let my words | Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Psalm 59:3, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, & Template:Sourcetext | Obadiah, Elijah |
| 26 | Aria | lang}} | It is enough, O Lord now take away my life | Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, & Template:Sourcetext | Elijah |
| 27 | Recitative | lang}} | See, now he sleepeth | Template:Sourcetext & Psalm 34:7 | Unnamed Tenor |
| 28 | Trio | lang}} | Lift thine eyes | Psalm 121:1-3 | Angels: S S A |
| 29 | Chorus | lang}} | He, watching over Israel, slumbers not | Psalm 121:4 & Psalm 138:7 | SATB |
| 30 | Recitative | lang}} | Arise, Elijah, for thou hast a long journey | Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, & Template:Sourcetext | Angel I, Elijah |
| 31 | Aria | lang}} | O rest in the Lord | Psalm 37:1,7 | Angel I: Alto |
| 32 | Chorus | lang}} | He that shall endure to the end, shall be saved. | Template:Sourcetext Template:Sourcetext | SATB |
| 33 | Recitative | lang}} | Night falleth round me, O Lord! | Template:Sourcetext & Template:Sourcetext | Elijah, Angel II |
| 34 | Chorus | lang}} | Behold! God the Lord passeth by! | Template:Sourcetext | SATB |
| 35 | Quartet with choir | lang}} | Above him stood the Seraphim; Holy is God the Lord | Template:Sourcetext | A; S S A A SATB |
| 36 | Choir and recitative | lang}} | Go, return upon thy way! I go on my way | Template:Sourcetext, Psalm 71:16, Psalm 16:2,9 | SSATTBB, Elijah |
| 37 | Arioso | lang}} | For the mountains shall depart | Template:Sourcetext | Elijah |
| 38 | Chorus | lang}} | Then did Elijah the prophet break forth | Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, & Template:Sourcetext | SATB |
| 39 | Aria | lang}} | Then shall the righteous shine forth | Template:Sourcetext & Template:Sourcetext | T |
| 40 | Recitative | lang}} | Behold, God hath sent Elijah | Template:Sourcetext | S |
| 41 | Chorus | lang}} | But the Lord, from the north hath raised one | Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, Template:Sourcetext, & Template:Sourcetext | SSAATTBB |
| 42 | Chorus | lang}} | And then shall your light break forth | Template:Sourcetext Template:Sourcetext | SATB |
| lang}} | Lord, our Creator | Psalm 8:1 | SATB |
ReceptionEdit
Elijah was popular at its premiere and has been frequently performed, particularly in English-speaking countries, ever since. It is a particular favourite of amateur choral societies. Its melodrama, easy appeal and stirring choruses have provided the basis for countless successful performances. Prince Albert inscribed a libretto for the oratorio Elijah in 1847: "To the noble artist who, surrounded by the Baal-worship of false art, has been able, like a second Elijah, through genius and study, to remain true to the service of true art."<ref>Peter Mercer-Taylor, The Life of Mendelssohn (Cambridge University Press, 2000), 200</ref> A number of critics later treated the work harshly, however, emphasizing its conventional outlook and undaring musical style. Bernard Shaw wrote in 1892:
- I sat out the performance on Wednesday to the last note, an act of professional devotion which was no part of my plan for the evening ... You have only to think of Parsifal, of the Ninth Symphony, of Die Zauberflöte, of the inspired moments of Bach and Handel, to see the great gulf that lies between the true religious sentiment and our delight in Mendelssohn's exquisite prettiness.<ref>Bernard Shaw in The World, 11 May 1892</ref>
Similarly, after Boston's Handel and Haydn Society presented the work for the first time in February 1848, its success resulted in eight more performances that spring. In the mid-1920s, however, H.T. Parker, the city's principal music critic, described how members of the audience gazed upward at a recent performance: "How many of those eyes were there in rapture, or were counting the four dead lights in the central sunburst of the ceiling?.... Elijah is hopelessly, awfully, irremediably mid-Victorian.<ref>Teresa M. Neff and Jan Swafford, eds., The Handel and Haydn Society: Bringing Music to Life for 200 Years (Jaffrey, NH: David R. Godine, 2014), pp. 63, 161</ref>
However, with the widespread re-evaluation of Mendelssohn’s work in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, these critical opinions have largely changed. In his definitive biography of the composer, the musicologist R. Larry Todd wrote that “the oratorio was the crowning achievement of Felix’s career”.<ref>Todd, R. Larry, Mendelssohn, A Life in Music (Oxford University Press, 2003), p. 548</ref> And in 2005 critic and musicologist Michael Steinberg described Elijah as “thrilling to sing” and noted that it “includes some of Mendelssohn’s finest music”.<ref>Steinberg, Michael, Choral Masterworks, A Listener's Guide (Oxford University Press, 2005), p.235</ref>
Mendelssohn wrote the soprano part in Elijah for the 'Swedish Nightingale', Jenny Lind, although she was unavailable to sing the Birmingham premiere. In her place, the part was created by Maria Caterina Rosalbina Caradori-Allan. Lind was devastated by the composer's premature death in 1847. She did not feel able to sing the part for a year afterwards. She resumed singing the piece at Exeter Hall in London in late 1848, raising £1,000 to fund a scholarship in his name. After Arthur Sullivan became the first recipient of the Mendelssohn Scholarship, she encouraged him in his career.<ref>Rosen, Carole. "Lind, Jenny (1820–1887)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 7 Dec 2008</ref>
Charles Salaman adapted "He that Shall Endure to the End" from Elijah as a setting for Psalm 93 (Adonai Malakh), sung on most Friday nights at the sabbath-eve service of the London Spanish & Portuguese Jewish community.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Template:IMSLP2
- Free scores of this work in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Full-text English-language libretto
- Three short musical excerpts from Elijah by a Swiss choir Template:Webarchive
- The History of Mendelssohn's Oratorio "Elijah" (1896)
- Conference program with abstracts: "Viewing Mendelssohn, Viewing Elijah" Template:Webarchive,
Template:Felix Mendelssohn Template:Authority control Template:Italic title