Elijah
20 May 2017 @ 8:00 PM Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall
Mr. Napoli will present a pre-concert lecture about Elijah at 7:40.
This piece was composed in the spirit of Mendelssohn’s Baroque predecessors Bach and Handel, whose music he loved. Elijah is modelled on the oratorios of these two Baroque masters; however, in its lyricism and use of orchestral and choral colour the style clearly reflects Mendelssohn’s own genius as an early Romantic composer.
The work is scored for four vocal soloists (bass-baritone, tenor, alto, soprano), full symphony orchestra including trombones, ophicleide, organ, and a large chorus singing usually in four, but occasionally eight or three (women only) parts.
Program
| Composition | Composer |
|---|---|
Part I |
|
| Introduction (Elijah): As God the Lord of Israel liveth | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Overture | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Chorus (The People): Help, Lord! Wilt Thou quite destroy us? | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Duet and Chorus (The People, Two Women): Lord, bow Thine ear to our prayer! | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (Obadiah): Ye people, rend your hearts | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Aria (Obadiah): “If with all your hearts ye truly seek me” | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Chorus (The People): Yet doth the Lord see it not | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (An Angel): Elijah! Get thee hence | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Double Quartet (Angels): For He shall give His angels | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (An Angel): Now Cherith’s brook is dried up, Elijah. | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative, Air, and Duet (The Widow and Elijah): What have I to do with thee | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Chorus: Blessed are the men who fear Him | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (Elijah and King Ahab) and Chorus: As God the Lord of Sabaoth liveth | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Chorus (Priests of Baal): Baal, we cry to thee | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (Elijah) and Chorus (Priests of Baal): Call him louder! For he is a god | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (Elijah) and Chorus (Priests of Baal): Call him louder! He heareth not | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Aria (Elijah): Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Quartet (Angels): Cast thy burden upon the Lord | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (Elijah) and Chorus (The People): O Thou who maketh Thine angels spirits | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Aria (Elijah): Is not His word like a fire | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Arioso (Alto): Woe unto them who forsake Him! | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (Obadiah, Elijah, The Boy) and Chorus (The People): O man of God, help thy people! | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Chorus (The People): Thanks be to God | Felix Mendelssohn |
Part II |
|
| Aria (Soprano): Hear ye, Israel; hear what the Lord speaketh | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Chorus: “Be not afraid,” saith God the Lord | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (Elijah and The Queen) and Chorus: The Lord hath exalted thee | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Chorus: Woe to him! He shall perish | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (Elijah and Obadiah): Man of God, now let my words | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Aria (Elijah): It is enough! | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (Tenor): See now, he sleepeth beneath a juniper tree | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Trio (Angels): Lift thine eyes | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Chorus (Angels): He, watching over Israel | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (The Angel and Elijah): Arise, Elijah | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Aria (The Angel): O rest in the Lord | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Chorus: He that shall endure to the end | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (The Angel and Elijah): Night falleth round me | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Chorus: Behold, God the Lord passed by! | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (Contralto): Above Him stood the seraphim / Quartet and Chorus (Angels): Holy is God the Lord | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (Elijah) and Chorus: Go, return upon thy way | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Arioso (Elijah): For the mountains shall depart | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Chorus: Then did Elijah the prophet break forth | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Aria (Tenor): Then shall the righteous shine forth | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Recitative (Soprano): Behold, God hath sent Elijah the prophet | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Chorus: But the Lord from the north hath raised one / Quartet: O come every one that thirsteth | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Final Chorus: And then, then shall your light break forth | Felix Mendelssohn |