Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Elijah (Elias), Op. 70

ELIJAH (German: ELIAS), Op. 70, is an oratorio by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) that depicts events in the life of the Prophet Elijah as told in the books 1 Kings and 2 Kings of the Old Testament. The work premiered on August 26 1846 at the City Hall Triennial Music Festival in Birmingham, with Mendelssohn conducting. The work was immediately met with praise. Composed in the spirit of Bach and Handel, both of whose music Mendelssohn greatly admired, the libretto was written in both English and German, with the musical phrasing adjusted to suit the language performed. While Mendelssohn preferred eight soloists to depict the various characters, the oratorio is not uncommonly performed with four soloists depicting more than one role. The chorus (usually SATB, but does split up to eight parts) functions as the people ("Das Volk"), but also comments, like the choir in Greek drama. The work is structured in two parts, each with its own climax. Instrumentation in set: 2.2.2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp: Org: Str (4-4-3-3-3). The vocal and choral score are available separately.