Download ELIJAH

ELIJAH
An Oratorio Based on the Old Testament Text
Op. 70
Music by Felix Mendelssohn
German Text by Julius Schubring
Based on 1 Kings xvii – xix
English translation by William Bartholomew
First performed at the Birmingham (England) Festival
26 August 1846
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period
CHILDHOOD
•
(1809) Born February 3 to a wealthy and cultured Hamburg family
•
Grandfather was a renowned philosopher, father was a successful banker
•
(1811) Family moves to Berlin. Mendelssohn’s father (Abraham) renounced
the Jewish religion and changed the family surname to Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.
•
(1816) Mendelssohn and his siblings baptized as a Christian
•
Mendelssohn’s sister Fanny (later Fanny Hensel) became a well-known pianist and
amateur composer
•
Mendelssohn was a child prodigy – studied piano from age six; studied painting, foreign
languages, literature; studied composition with Carl Friedrick Zelter
EARLY YEARS
•
By age 16, Mendelssohn had written twelve string symphonies and his first symphony for
full orchestra (C Minor, Op. 11)
•
By age 20, his musical style and reputation were well established with his String Octet in
E-flat and the Incidental Music to Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream
•
(1829) Mendelssohn’s grandmother had given him a copy of Bach’s St. Matthew
Passion. After study and preparation, Mendelssohn revived the work in a celebrated
performance in Berlin. The performance was the first since Bach’s death in 1750 and
was a strong influence in the revival of Bach’s music in Germany and eventually
throughout Europe.
COMPOSER, PERFORMER, CONDUCTOR
•
Early success in Germany was followed by travel throughout Europe. Mendelssohn
visited England ten times during his career as a performer and conductor, premiering
many of his major works. He was inspired by the oratorios of Handel and Haydn.
•
(1835) Became conductor of Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig
•
(1836) St. Paul premiered in Düsseldorf. First successful Oratorio since the days of
Handel and Haydn
•
(1841) Received title of “Royal Generalmusikdirektor” in Berlin
•
(1842) Organized the famous Leipzig Conservatory where he and Schumann taught
composition and piano
•
(1846) Premier of Elijah at the Birmingham Festival
•
(1847) Died at the age of 38 after a series of strokes
PERSONAL LIFE
•
Married to Cécile Jeanrenaud, the daughter of a French Protestant clergyman. The couple
had five children: Carl, Marie, Paul, Lilli and Felix
•
Enthusiastic amateur artist including drawing, watercolors and oil painting
•
Multi-lingual, translated from Latin; spoke English and French fluently
Elijah (1846)
Inspiration, Commission and First Performance
•
Mendelssohn had contemplated the idea for years, tried to interest a librettist
•
He had already written the first successful oratorio since Handel and Haydn (St. Paul)
and conducted that work frequently
•
Commissioned for the Birmingham Festival (1846) and asked to conduct one of his own
works
•
Returned to Rev. Julius Schubring who had supplied the libretto for St. Paul
•
Schubring wanted to emphasize Christian theology, new testament ideals
•
Mendelssohn insisted on emphasizing the dramatic shape of the story – requesting
particular scenes and biblical texts
•
Mendelssohn wrote to Schubring “I am anxious to do full justice to the dramatic element”
•
Mendelssohn composed the work in German but immediately had William Bartholomew
translate it into the English of the King James Bible for the first performance
•
Finished the score in mid-August, 1846, premiered at Birmingham August 26
•
Instant success – thunderous applause, repeated encores
•
Immediately considered to be on the same plane as Messiah and The Creation
The Structure of the Oratorio
•
Divided into two parts (with an intermission), each part has a climactic moment
•
Total of 42 musical numbers (Part I – 20, Part II -22) including recitative, arias, duets,
trio, quartets, double quartets, and twenty-one chorus numbers
Four blocks in each half that portray a scene or situation:
Section
Part I
Part II
Numbers
Content
Opening
Intro, Overture
Block 1
nos. 1-5
Lament, Prayer, Exhortation, Promise
Block 2
nos. 6-9
Miracle of revival
Block 3
nos. 10-16
Miracle of fire
Block 4
nos. 17-20
Miracle of rain
Block 5
nos. 21-22
Warning, Exhortation
Block 6
nos. 23-30
Threat, Elijah’s retreat
Block 7
nos. 31-38
Appearance of God, Elijah’s ascension
Block 8
nos. 39-41
Deliverance, Proclamation
no. 42
Final Chorus
Closing
Curse
Full Orchestra - (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4, horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones,
tuba, timpani, violins, violas, cellos, basses
Four soloists - (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) play several roles:
Soprano – The widow, The Youth, The Angel
Alto – Jezebel the Queen, Another Angel
Tenor – Obadiah, Ahab king of Israel
Bass – Elijah the Prophet
Chorus – multiple roles: Israelites, priests of Baal, also comments on the miracles
The Story of Elijah
•
Based on the account of Elijah in the Old Testament
•
Mendelssohn’s oratorio relates the major events in Elijah’s life:
o The curse of the Lord and the seven-year drought
o Elijah’s miraculous revival of the widow’s son (miracle of revival)
o His confrontation with the Baal worshippers (miracle of fire)
o The lifting of the drought (miracle of rain)
o His confrontation with Ahab and Jezebel
o His flight into the wilderness and his encounter with the Lord
o His journey to Mt. Horeb and his ascension to heaven in a flaming chariot
The curse of the Lord and the seven-year drought
The work begins in dramatic fashion – before the overture, Elijah prophesies a
devastating drought as punishment for the people’s acceptance of idols
Elijah’s miraculous revival of the widow’s son (miracle of revival)
An angel sends Elijah to Zarephath where he asks a widow to give him food and lodging.
The widow has just enough for a final meal for her and her son, but Elijah insists that God has
commanded her to feed Elijah first. The widow agrees, feeds Elijah first and her food is
miraculously replenished. Her son, however, sickens and dies, but Elijah lays across the boy and
prays three times to the Lord and the son’s life is restored.
His confrontation with the Baal worshippers (miracle of fire)
After three years, Elijah returns to Israel to face Ahab. He challenges Ahab to have a
sacrifice prepared but no fire lit under it. The priests of Baal summon him in vain while Elijah
mocks them. “Call him louder, for he is a god! He talketh, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey;
or he sleepeth: so awaken him! Call him louder! The priests of Baal call louder, dance upon their
alter, cut themselves with knives and lancets but are met with deafening silence. Elijah’s own
prayer to the Lord is answered by fire, and the people, seeing this, repent. Elijah has the priests
of Baal taken away and executed.
The lifting of the drought (miracle of rain)
Elijah pleads with the Lord to send down rain. Three times he prays to the Lord for rain
and sends a young boy to the top of a hill to look out over the sea for rain. At the third plea, the
rain comes and the people join in an exuberant hymn of praise (“Thanks be to God”)
(end of Part I)
His confrontation with Ahab and Jezebel
Part II of Elijah begins with hymns of reassurance (“Hear ye, Israel!” and “Be not
afraid”), but Elijah is soon embroiled in controversy again. He confronts Ahab, taking him to
task for his idolatry while Jezebel stirs up the people against Elijah. Obadiah advises Elijah that
Jezebel has vowed to see him killed and advises him to flee.
His flight into the wilderness and his encounter with the Lord
Elijah flees to the desert alone and in despair. He complains bitterly that the children of
Israel have broken the covenant and that he alone has remained faithful to the Lord God of
Hosts. After he falls asleep beneath a juniper, angels come and comfort him (“Lift Thine Eyes”
and “He Watching over Israel”) and Elijah makes his way to Mt. Horeb to await the Lord.
His journey to Mt. Horeb and his ascension to heaven in a flaming chariot
As Elijah stood at Mt. Horeb, The Lord passed by and a mighty wind tore into the
mountains and broke the rocks into pieces, but yet the Lord was not in the storm. The Lord
passed by again and the sea was tossed and earth was shaken, but the Lord was not in the
earthquake. After the earthquake came fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire
there came a still, small voice, and in that still, small voice was God. God commands him to
return through the wilderness to Israel where there remain seven thousand men who have
remained faithful to the Lord and not bowed to Baal.
And when the Lord took Elijah to heaven, there came a fiery chariot with fiery horses,
and Elijah ascended to heaven in a whirlwind.