The History of Mendelssohn's Oratorio "Elijah" Part 3

Such a question should not be put by one who has set Christ's words for a chorus.[21] There can be no doubt that at that time Elisha was no more a child. The word _Knabe_ (_Knappe_) is to be understood as referring to service, not to youth, like [Greek: ho pais] in cla.s.sical Greek. One who ploughs with twelve yoke of oxen (1 Kings xix., 19) is no child. Do you know any pa.s.sage where Elisha is called a boy?

I think there is none. The first reference to him is in 1 Kings xix., 19 [? 16]....

"I earnestly hope that some of these suggestions may suit you, so that the work can get on. The news that Part I. is already finished has given me great joy."

[Footnote 20: "Briefwechsel," p. 222.]

[Footnote 21: The reference is to "St. Paul," in which, at Schubring's suggestion, Mendelssohn has set the words, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" for four-part female chorus.]

A short letter (August 8, 1846), in which Schubring sends Mendelssohn a further suggestion, completes the "Elijah" correspondence between the composer and his clerical friend.

Schubring, in his pleasant "Reminiscences" already referred to (p.

10), thus speaks of his connection with the composer in compiling the book of "St. Paul," Mendelssohn's first oratorio:--

"Subsequently to 1832, we frequently discussed the subject of oratorio 'texts.' With regard to 'St. Paul,' a considerable amount of preliminary labour had been got through before I knew anything about it. At Mendelssohn's request I undertook a certain further amount of work of a subordinate kind, such as connecting and introducing suitable pa.s.sages and arias.... He always proved himself a thoughtful artist, and strove to obtain a clear appreciation of each separate point--such, for instance, as the admissibility of the chorale, of the narrative, recitatives, etc. He rejected, also, much that was suggested, being so well acquainted with his Bible, that he obtained a great deal of valuable material himself. He was, however, extremely grateful for any a.s.sistance."

These words apply, though in a larger measure, to the part which Mendelssohn took in preparing the libretto of his second oratorio, "Elijah." Attention is specially directed to the fact that, notwithstanding the foregoing correspondence between the composer, Klingemann, and Schubring, Mendelssohn--while availing himself of the help his friends were willing to give him--accepted nothing without the most careful scrutiny. The following extract, from Ferdinand Hiller's "Recollections of Mendelssohn" (Macmillan), may fitly conclude this chapter.

"One evening," says Hiller, "I found Felix deep in the Bible.

'Listen,' he said; and then he read to me in a gentle and agitated voice the pa.s.sage from the first Book of Kings, beginning at the words, 'And behold, the Lord pa.s.sed by.' 'Would not that be splendid for an oratorio?' he exclaimed."

CHAPTER II.

BIRMINGHAM.

Mendelssohn does not seem to have done anything with the _music_ of "Elijah" until 1845. The Committee of the Birmingham Musical Festival were then making arrangements for their approaching triennial music meeting, to be held in 1846.

The history of the Birmingham Musical Festival, which dates back to 1768, is full of interest. The artistic excellence of the Festival, and the enterprise which has also so long distinguished it, have earned for this great music-meeting a European reputation. Charity, in one of its best forms--the relief of the sick and suffering poor--has been richly sustained by the benefactions, amounting in the aggregate to the munificent sum of 132,000, which the Festivals have brought into the treasury of the Birmingham General Hospital.

Mendelssohn loved England and the English people. He was never happier than when visiting this country, and Birmingham had a warm corner in his heart. His receptions at the Festivals of 1837 and 1840, when he conducted respectively his "St. Paul" and the "Hymn of Praise," were most cordial, and highly gratifying to him. It was therefore quite natural that the Festival Committee should look to Mendelssohn for the composition of a work which, in all probability, would give distinction to their Festival; and, that they should, if possible, secure, as an extra attraction, the presence of the composer as Conductor. The previous chapter shows that "Elijah" had occupied Mendelssohn's mind for many years previous to 1846; therefore, it can scarcely be said that he composed the oratorio "expressly for Birmingham," as is commonly stated and generally supposed. But, considering the composer's early death (in 1847), it may reasonably be a.s.sumed that had it not been for the Birmingham Festival of 1846, Mendelssohn's oratorio of "Elijah" would never have been given to the world.

At a meeting of the Birmingham Festival Committee, held June 11, 1845, the following resolution was carried--doubtless _nem. con._:--

"That it appears to this Committee desirable that the services of Dr.

Mendelssohn be obtained to act as Conductor at the next Festival; and that he be requested to consider whether he can provide a new oratorio, or other music, for the occasion."

This resolution was communicated to the composer by Mr. Joseph Moore (1766-1851), the indefatigable manager of the Festivals from 1802 till his death. Mr. Moore not only caused the n.o.ble Town Hall to be erected (in 1834), but spared no exertions to raise the Birmingham music-meetings to their present exalted position in the realm of music. Mr. Moore, who had early made the acquaintance of the Mendelssohn family in Berlin, became very intimate with Felix, who was always Mr. Moore's guest during his visits to Birmingham.

[Ill.u.s.tration: JOSEPH MOORE

(1766-1851)

_Manager of the Birmingham Musical Festivals._]

Here is Mendelssohn's reply to the Committee's invitation:--

[TO JOSEPH MOORE, ESQ.]

[_Written in English._]

"FRANKFORT, _July_ 24, 1845.

"My dear Sir,--Have many thanks for your very kind and welcome letter, which I received a few days ago, and pray tell the members of the Committee for the next Festival how truly indebted I feel to them for the honour they have done me in inviting me to come over to their meeting next year.

"I hope nothing shall prevent me to accept of so flattering and honourable an invitation, and beg to thank the Committee and yourself, my dear Sir, most sincerely for it.

"You know with how great a pleasure I have always visited your country; the prospect of doing so again affords always a true gratification to me, and your kind and hospitable invitation greatly adds to the pleasure I may thus antic.i.p.ate. I have only to wish, then, that nothing may occur to prevent me from accepting so much kindness; for it is indeed a long time--more than a year--for settling any plans. Pray let me know at what time you would wish to have a positive and decided answer--I mean at what time you would consider my answer as an engagement, which could not be altered on any account; and let me also know what you mean in saying that I am to a.s.sist you in selecting music, conducting and directing as much as possible. As for selecting, of course I shall be most happy to offer any advice which may be asked; but do you mean that I should have to conduct _all_ the performances, or the _greater_ part of them? This, I fear, would be a task above my powers; but before I can say anything more on this subject, pray explain me what _your_ meaning is, and name the period about which I asked you before.

"Since some time I have begun an oratorio,[22] and hope I shall be able to bring it out for the first time at your Festival; but it is still a mere beginning, and I cannot yet give you any promise as to my finis.h.i.+ng it in time.

"I have written to Mr. Webb[23] some months ago, to tell him that I had already begun to work on another subject, and that I could not avail myself of his poem for that reason, much as I regretted it. If my oratorio should be ready in time (as I hope it will), there would be no occasion for any other things of mine at the morning performances; but if I should not be able to finish it, I have several other things of mine which I could propose in its stead, either for the morning or evening concerts.

"The 'Oedipus' (which is to be performed next month at Potsdam) will scarcely do for any concert, I am afraid; but, as I said, I have other things.

"I hear with much pleasure that you still go on with improvements in your splendid organ; but if I shall play it with pleasure, I must have a lighter touch, and broader keys in the pedals than what I found there last year [? time]. I am sure the pedals from C up to D (_two_ octaves and a note) are quite enough, and it could then be contrived that the keys have the breadth which feet and boots usually require.

And as for the heavy touch, I am sure that I admired your organist very much who was able to play a Fugue on them. I am afraid I would not have strength enough to do so, without a very long previous practice. Perhaps you may speak to Mr.

Hill [the builder of the organ] of these observations, and hear what he says to them....

"Believe me always, very truly yours,

"FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY."

[Footnote 22: "Elijah."]

[Footnote 23: The Rev. John Webb, M.A. (1776-1869), often referred to as "the friend of the charity"--_i.e._, the Birmingham General Hospital. He submitted to Mendelssohn the text of an oratorio, ent.i.tled "Rachel in Ramah," which is the "poem" referred to in this letter.]

On August 26 (exactly a year before "Elijah" was first performed) the Orchestral Committee resolved to recommend to the Musical Committee "That Dr. Mendelssohn Bartholdy be requested to compose a performance (_sic_) for the Wednesday morning, and to conduct all the morning performances." The Musical Committee at once adopted this recommendation, and communicated its purport to Mendelssohn, who replied as follows:--

[TO JOSEPH MOORE, ESQ.]

[_Written in English._]

"LEIPZIG, _October_ 19, 1845.

"My dear Sir,--I received your first letter after an absence of a few weeks, and should have answered it long ago, for you know with how much pleasure I read it, and how truly indebted I felt to you and the Committee for continuing your very kind feeling towards me! But I was uncertain which answer I had to give to some of the most important points, and this uncertainty is still the same; yet I must write, as I receive to-day your second letter, which shows your wish to have an immediate answer.

"The princ.i.p.al point about which I am uncertain is whether I shall be able to have my new oratorio ready in time for your Festival. There would have been no doubt of it, had I been able to continue my work quietly at Frankfort, as I began it. But now there are so many businesses here, at Dresden, and at Berlin, which took up all my leisure time during the last months, that I have not been able to go on with it. If the businesses continue as they have begun (which, however, I hope they will not), I _shall not_ be able to finish my oratorio in time. If they do _not_ continue, I _shall_ finish it in time. But during this uncertainty I am not able to make an engagement as to the first performance of this work.

"The second point is that I am afraid I shall not be strong enough to go through the office of being sole conductor of the morning performances at such a Festival as yours is. In former years I had only to conduct my compositions, not the other pieces of your programme; and yet I recollect how excited and fatigued I always felt after the Festival was over. Therefore, I hesitate to accept of the honour which you intend doing me, and which I fear I should not be able to go through, although I sincerely wished it.

"The question now is whether you would want me yet (to come to the Festival without having a certainty as to these two points, and even with the possibility of my answering them at last in the negative), or whether you consider them as so essential that the whole idea of my coming over (much as I would regret it) must be given up with them.

"I beg you will give me an answer to this question as soon as you conveniently can. If the first should be the case (and I hope you fully know how glad I should be to see you again, and to come), I would set at work as hard as I could whenever any leisure is left me to finish my new piece; and at any rate I should propose several others (although not so extensive ones) for the morning performances. But if the second should be the case, I sincerely hope and trust you would be convinced of my deep regret, and would allow me another year to enjoy of an honour and a treat which I should have been obliged to give up so much against my wishes this time. Be it as it may, I beg you will present my best and most sincere thanks to the Committee, and I beg you will think of me, my dear Sir, as of one who shall _always_ feel true grat.i.tude and thankfulness for all the kindness and friends.h.i.+p you have shown to him!...

"Very truly yours,