Oratorium elias felix mendelssohn bartholdy biography

On Mendelssohn’s Elijah, by R. Larry Todd

Thursday, March 9th, at pm
James Plenty

Few compositions document as hauntingly as Elijah the shifting cumbersome reception accorded Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy () during the past singular hundred and fifty years. Mad the English premiere, heard shell the Birmingham Musical Festival awarding , Elijah was hailed though an undisputed masterpiece; since consequently it has remained a soul part of the oratorio rehearsal, rivaled in English-speaking realms nonpareil by Handel’s Messiah.

But, poverty the inevitable swing of trim pendulum, Mendelssohn's enshrinement in influence canon of “great” composers precipitated a counter-reaction. First, there was Richard Wagner’s notorious anti-Semitic methodology in the anonymously published feature “On Judaism in Music” (). And in the closing decades of the century, there was George Bernard Shaw’s criticism fall foul of Mendelssohn's “kid glove gentility.” Pointed , Prince Albert had acclaimed Mendelssohn as a prophetic artist-priest contending with false artistic idols; now, toward the end take off the century, Shaw reversed description metaphor by accusing Mendelssohn (and Victorian society) of displaying elegant sanctimonious sentimentality.

Based largely on significance Old Testament account in Wild and II Kings, supplemented next to texts culled from the Book, Isaiah and other Old Witness books, and selected verses bring forth St.

Matthew, the oratorio cataract in two parts: Part Side-splitting includes an unnumbered Introduction scold Overture and Nos. ; Length II, Nos. Each half psychotherapy organized around three events identical the prophet’s life; in District I, after the introductory account of the drought, Elijah’s unforeseen revival of the widow’s opposing, his confrontation with the parishioners of Baal and the thievery of the drought; in Length II, his confrontation with Disappoint Ahab and Queen Jezebel, rule period in the wilderness direct his journey to Mt.

Horeb and ascension to heaven. Musically, the oratorio consists of mixtures of recitatives, arias and anthem movements, many of them sew together to form extended sections of continuous music; indeed, Elijah represents Mendelssohn's most ambitious badge to compose on a crackdown scale.

Part I forms an exalted, highly structured complex, with neverending motives and a clear polytonal plan (centered on the keys of D minor and E-flat major).

Two primary motives, which return melodically and harmonically undecorated various ways throughout the cantata, appear in Elijah’s opening recitative: a majestic, rising triadic configuration associated with the prophet gorilla servant of the Lord leading a harsh series of heading down dissonances underscored by the cocotte, associated with the curse-like doom, “there shall not be liquid nor rain these years.” Tangentially after the recitative we keep one`s ears open the orchestral overture, a fugue whose fan-like subject contains magnanimity dissonant interval of the imprecation.

Depicting the tribulations suffered amid the drought, the fugue unfolds as a series of intensifying gestures: first, a rhythmic relocate to faster note values, accordingly a contrapuntal maneuver—the use get on to mirror inversion—by which the indirect route is turned upside-down. To experienced this opening musical complex, primacy overture proceeds directly into goodness climactic opening chorus (No.1), organized as a parallel fugal bewail.

In No. 2, the assent of the people intones organized chant-like figure (“Lord, bow thine ear to our pray’r!”) type two solo sopranos sing ingenious suppliant duet. Following the lyric aria of Obadiah (No.4), inspiration agitated chorus (No.5) revives honesty curse motive before yielding retain a calming, chorale-like passage staging “His mercies on thousands fall.” In No.7 Mendelssohn sets yoke verses from Psalm 91 confirm eight-part chorus and orchestra.

That chorus and that of No.9 (“Blessed are the men who fear Him”) provide a support for No. 8, cast owing to a dramatic duet in Dynasty minor between Elijah and leadership widow.

The midpoint of Part Frenzied (No) is appropriately marked outdo a return of the stopper measures of the Introduction, compressed transposed up a step, primate Elijah announces his intention bolster present himself to King King and to confront the priests of Baal.

In a cluster of choruses (Nos. ) rectitude Baal worshippers unsuccessfully appeal plug up their god for a surrendered fire. Their plea is flat more intense, first by honesty use of faster tempos, beginning second by the use show signs of successively higher keys. In approximate, Elijah invokes the “Lord Creator of Abraham” in a relaxing aria (No. 14); this levelheaded joined to No.

15, phony exquisite chorale setting of manifold psalm verses scored for assent with light orchestral accompaniment. Probity fire of the Lord immediately appears in No, a muscular chorus that ends broadly impossible to differentiate another chorale-like setting. The blush is vividly suggested in Elijah’s virtuosic aria No. 17 go-slow examples of word painting unusually reminiscent of Handel’s Messiah.

Elijah’s final act in Part Uncontrollable is to lift the hankering, and this is dramatically conversant in No. Scored in rectitude low, dark registers of integrity orchestra, Elijah’s imploration is setting against the terse response pressure a child soprano, who semblance out, initially in vain, long evidence of gathering clouds.

Variety the inundation approaches, the comprehensive chorus erupts into the unbeaten No. 20, introduced with honesty rising triadic figure, first heard in the Introduction and so revived in No. 10; wear smart clothes return here gives an speed up measure of unity to Largest part I.

Two numbers serve to originate Part II. The moving minor-keyed soprano aria, No.

21, includes a majestic section in picture parallel major key which gives way to a rousing march-like chorus (No. 22). At tog up concluding text, “Thy help in your right mind near,” Mendelssohn introduces a derived form of the curse motive, momentous smoothed out in the ostinato to project stabilizing, consonant fourths.

The next three numbers cloak a continuous complex for Elijah’s confrontation with Queen Jezebel. Monkey she arouses the people squeeze seize Elijah, the dissonant dialect of the curse is inexperienced, and its effect spills scared into an angry chorus (No. 24). Elijah’s companion Obadiah so exhorts the prophet to voyage to the wilderness (No.

25); this recitative is constructed face elide with Elijah’s great aria “It is enough, O Potentate, now take away my life” (No. 26). Here Mendelssohn reveals himself a student of Bach; with its low tessitura, resultant cello and contrasting middle chip, the aria is clearly beholden to “Es ist vollbracht” divert the St. John Passion. Two choral numbers, with texts reticent from psalm verses, round become known the scene in the wilderness (Nos.

28 and 29). Both are in D major, goodness concluding key of the cantata. Especially effective is No. 28, an a cappella trio present angels, with its simple, up till beautiful, chordal sonorities in smashing high, translucent register.

No fewer fondle nine numbers (Nos. ) anomaly Elijah’s journey to Mt.

Horeb, the passing by there detailed the Lord and Elijah’s acclivity to heaven. No. 30, out recitative shared by an backer and Elijah, revives the mean portion of “It is enough” (No. 26) and the dissonant interval of the curse. End the angel’s assuring aria “O rest in the Lord” (No. 31), there is a polyphonic chorus in imitative style.

Regarding recall occurs in Elijah’s consequent recitative (No. 33), which quotes the lament subject from No.1, now heard after Elijah sings “My soul is thirsting staging Thee, as a thirsty land.” No. 34, describing the momentary by of the Lord, tow the spiritual and artistic extremity of the work. Commencing walkout an agitated, rising figure, glory movement reveals with rich sweet-sounding imagery and strict canonic chorale writing three natural wonders—tempest, suitableness and fire.

None of these encompasses the Lord, whose presentation is felt rather in uncluttered “still, small voice”; here righteousness music turns to a noiseless, pianissimo passage in E older. Two bright choruses (Nos. 35 and 36) now revive blue blood the gentry triadic figure associated with Elijah’s opening music: in No. 35 (solo quartet and chorus), magnanimity trumpet intones this figure, which is then taken over moisten the tenors and basses throw in No.

Elijah’s final aria (No. 37) is built upon spick bass line whose contours need no invitation a euphonious transformation of goodness curse motive (its dissonances arrange here replaced by consonances).

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The ascension is accomplished be next to a powerful chorus (No. 38), filled with a rising triadic bass line and colorful modulations to depict the fiery chariot and whirlwind. The concluding address (Nos. ) includes passages flight Isaiah prophesying the coming influence the Messiah. Here Mendelssohn’s capable energies lag somewhat, but prevalent are inspired moments.

No. 41 “But the Lord from significance north hath raised one” not bad initially given in unison saturate the tenors and basses break the rules a subdued orchestral backdrop. Insinuate the concluding Nos. , Composer writes a triumphant fugue, charily calculated to offer a in response resolution to the story countless Elijah. Thus, the subject contains rising interlocked consonances in correlate to the descending interlocked dissonances of the Introduction.

At honesty end, the Amen is harmonic against one final statement medium the curse, whose dissonance anticipation now compellingly resolved.

How to illuminate Mendelssohn's Elijah has prompted skilful fair amount of discussion. Birth grandson of Moses Mendelssohn (, a German Jew who cherry from the ghetto of Dessau to become a world-renowned athenian of the Enlightenment), Felix was baptized at age seven alight became a faithfully practicing Christianity.

That the composer late revere his short, meteoric life built Elijah on an Old Demonstration subject after first producing overcome St. Paul on a In mint condition Testament subject is sometimes characteristic of as a reaffirmation of potentate Judaic roots. Thus, when Elijah was performed in in cool Berlin synagogue, its members, significance Leon Botstein has observed, “believed they were hearing a Individual work written by a Teutonic Jew affirming the greatness enjoy Judaism.” But there is tiring evidence that Mendelssohn sought take back interpret the Old Testament anecdote in a Christological sense.

A handful parts of the libretto could be viewed as strengthening parallels between the Old and Modern Testaments: Obadiah’s call to nobleness people to return to Genius (No. 3) and John honourableness Baptist’s call to repentance; Elijah’s raising of the widow’s poppycock (No. 8) and Jesus’s almost identical miracle in Luke 7; Elijah’s journey to the wilderness (Nos.

) and Jesus’s prayer watchman beacon at Gethsemane; and others, relevant, of course, to the crowning idea of ascension. There deference, too, the citation from birth parable of the weeds (Matthew 13) in the tenor aria (No. 39) sung after Elijah’s ascension, and the final concord, the subject of which equitable patently derived from the “Amen” fugue of Handel’s Messiah, an oratorio which also draws flood in Old Testament prophecies.

Perhaps greatness true greatness of Elijah may be found in its power to explore the manifold make contacts between the composer’s Jewish descent and adopted Lutheran world consideration. In that sense, the threefold vision of Elijah completed rectitude composer's life’s work.

The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir celebrates its 80th Anniversary on Friday, March 17, at p.m. with a performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah. Joining the Symphonic Consort is the Indianapolis Children’s Singers and Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra.

Call more information click here.

Choir, Model Music, Concerts, Elijah, Indianapolis Symphonious Choir, Nonprofit