In my previous article on The Peri and Paradise, I wrote that Schumann dabbled in Biedermeier sentimentalism. Similarly, Mendelssohn fell for a Victorian mood in his oratorio Elijah.
Oratorios of the 19th century often had a subject which was only partially biblical or not at all, as The Peri and Paradise. However, the 19th century also saw an increased interest in the oratorios by Handel, and that encouraged composers to turn again to biblical subjects. One of them was Felix Mendelssohn who composed two oratorios which are still part of the standard repertoire of 19th-century choral music, Paulus and Elias (Elijah).
Although it is historically correct to rank Elias among the German oratorios, it received its first performance in England, on an English translation of the original German libretto. Mendelssohn had taken up the idea of composing an oratorio on the Old Testament prophet Elijah in 1836, but nothing came out of this until in 1845 Mendelssohn received the request to compose an oratorio for the 1846 Birmingham Festival. For the libretto, Mendelssohn turned again to the theologian Julius Schubring, who had written the text for Paulus. The text was then translated into English by William Bartholomew.
The first performance took place on 26 August 1846 and found an overwhelming reception. The next day The Times wrote: "The last note of Elijah was drowned in a long-continued unanimous volley of plaudits, vociferous and deafening. It was as if enthusiasm, long checked had suddenly burst its bonds and filled the air with shouts of exultation. (...) Never was there a more complete triumph - never a more thorough and speedy recognition of a great work of art."
Elijah is certainly not a kind of sacred opera, although the life of Elijah was full of drama. There is no continuing narrative; it is rather a sequence of six scenes from Elijah's life, three in each of the two parts. One of the reasons of the ongoing popularity of this oratorio is the large number of choruses. The choir takes several roles, sometimes expressing the feelings of the people of Israel, elsewhere commenting the events.
The Victorians seem to have loved Elijah above any other oratorio except Handel’s Messiah. Choirs love to sing it and it has gratifying solo parts. This all explains its continued presence in concert programs and on disc. George Bernard Shaw, however, spoke about “despicable oratorio-mongering,” calling it a “prostitution of Mendelssohn’s great genius to this lust for threatening and vengeance.” But Mendelssohn himself thought Elijah was his best work.
It unquestionably begins as if it might be - the splendid opening is one of the most remarkable things of the score. There is an immediate entry of the bass/baritone soloist, as in a recitative Elijah announces that Israel -
ruled by the ungodly King Ahab and Queen Jezebel - will suffer from
drought and famine; only then follows the orchestral overture, which shows plenty of spirit.
The first part of Elijah shows a strong, militant prophet who rebels against the polytheism of the queen in the northern kingdom who, as a Canaanite, adhered to the Baal cult. Elijah sought to end this development and to turn all Israelites to the one God: Yahweh. The concern for water forms the dramatic tension of this first part. The prophet Elijah's opening announcement of a perennial water shortage ("So wahr der Herr") is punctuated by three descending chords. In the overture, the orchestra rises to a mighty crescendo, whereupon the chorus enters with a supplication ("Help, Lord!") and a subsequent a cappella recitative ("The deep is dried up!"). The episode with Elijah and the widow of Zarpath ("What have you done to me") is followed by the confrontation with King Ahab and the priests of Baal. Their cries, "Baal, hear us!" are mocked by Elijah with "Shout louder!" The conclusion of the first part is the large-scale "Rain Miracle," introduced by a dialogue between Elijah and a boy observing the sky, until finally a cloud rises from the sea, bringing forth rushing downpours amid the cheers of the crowd.
The second part shows a resigning, life-weary Elijah. It opens with the aria "Hear, Israel," originally written for soprano Jenny Lind. It is less dramatic than the first part, but contains numerous lyrical moments, especially the aria "Es ist genug," which expresses Elijah's despairing weariness with life. This aria is followed, as a soothing contrast, by the a cappella terzet "Hebe deine Augen auf" for three female voices, followed by the chorus "Siehe der Hüter Israels," both from Psalm 121.
The queen incites the people to murder the inconvenient prophet Elijah, who is led by angelic choirs to Mount Horeb in the desert and experiences the climax of his prophetic life in the encounter with the invisible God. He sets out again with renewed courage to fight against the worshipers of the gods, and at the end of his life rides to heaven in a fiery chariot. The conclusion then announces the arrival of the Messiah, who will continue his work.
Libretto in German and English.
Listen to this great performance by the Orchestre National de France conducted by Daniele Gatti, with Lucy Crowe, Christianne Stotijn, Rainer Trost and Michael Nagy.