Volume 28 Issue 1 | September 20 - November 8, 2022

CHORAL SCENE
The unsung heroes of
MENDELSSOHN’S
ELIJAH
STEPH MARTIN
Felix Mendelssohn
by Eduard Magnus, 1846
Why do we love Mendelssohn’s Elijah? For many
conductors, performers and listeners, it is the
perfect oratorio, combining all the dramatic musical
elements required to bring this colourful story to life.
A more puzzling question is why do we love this character, Elijah?
In the oratorio’s opening scene, the cantankerous prophet bursts
into ominous incantation, pre-empting the overture with a curse.
He condemns his people to drought and famine to force their allegiance
to Jehovah, and then massacres the prophets of Baal at Kishon’s
brook to ensure his rival cult will never rise again. But unlike other
bad boy baritones (like Scarpia) or terrible tenors (like Pinkerton)
or murderous mezzos (like Clytemnestra), we have sympathy for
Elijah, thanks to librettist Julius Schubring’s careful management
of Biblically inspired text. Elijah’s fiery, public character is balanced
with his gentler, private self, with intimate scenes of tender compassion
toward a widow and her child, his humble loyalty to his people,
and his gratitude. Ultimately, in his own emotional wilderness scene,
he confronts his self-doubt and contemplates suicide. He is saved by a
group of angels who sing “Lift thine eyes to the mountains.”
Mendelssohn had a deep understanding of the power of oratorio,
having revived, rehearsed and conducted J.S. Bach’s Saint Matthew
Passion in 1829 as a 20-year-old in Berlin. Many of Elijah’s arias endure
as staples of the solo repertoire with their timeless, memorable melodies
and effective text setting. “O rest in the Lord” and “For the mountains
shall depart” have the unpretentious air of popular song, while “Then
shall the righteous shine forth” and “Hear ye, Israel” have the weight
of Handelian opera. The supporting solo roles are also meaty, requiring
depth of expression from the entire ensemble, with three of the four soloists
playing multiple characters. The tenor must toggle between Elijah’s
right-hand man, Obadiah, and his archenemy, Ahab, granting the tenor
some wonderful tunes like “If with all your hearts ye truly seek me.” The
mezzo portrays both the envious Jezebel and the graceful Angel. Perhaps
the soprano has the most glorious music, with arias that were intended to
be sung by the famous “Swedish Nightingale” Jenny Lind. Although Lind
was unable to sing the premiere, letters between Mendelssohn and Lind
survive, as he shared his struggle to write just the right notes for her.
The chorus, of course, is the big attraction. This robust assembly
of enthusiastic singers devote many volunteer hours to intensive
rehearsals as a group. They enliven Mendelssohn’s highly charged
depiction of different groups of characters: starving citizens pleading
for pity, enraged Baal worshippers competing for victory, astounded
observers rejoicing at Elijah’s miraculous ascent to heaven in a fiery
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