[Mendelssohn to Bartholomew.]
[Written in English.]
"Leipzig, July 3, 1846.[34]
"My dear Sir,—Many, many thanks for your kind letter and for your translation of the first part of Elijah. I can but write in great haste, else I would try to say more, and to thank you better for all your kindness. But I will do so in person, and meanwhile I merely say—I thank you most heartily, most sincerely, and I hasten to answer your questions.
"Those words in the choruses which you or I may now or hereafter object to, might, I hope, still be altered in pencil or ink in the parts, if already printed; for if an improvement can be made, it must never be omitted because the printing should be finished. A little more trouble will be amply repaid by a little improvement! And as for the Solo Parts, they must not be printed at all for the Festival, but only written out (copied), and can only be printed together with the pianoforte arrangement, and after the performance. For these accordingly we have time till then, to alter and improve. Pray let Mr. Buxton [Ewer and Co., the English publishers] read all this!
"No. 1. I wish to keep this if possible as in the English Bible version; therefore I propose[35]:—
there shall not be dew nor rain these years, not dew nor rain &c.
[Listen]
"No. 5, at the end, I propose to say 'and in our affliction He comforteth us,' and to slur from D to E flat, because I prefer to have the word affliction on the G flat.[36]
"No. 6 {3}. The time is Andante tranquillo. The first words are from Jerem. xxix., 13. And the following from Job xxiii., 3, and I wish to keep these last literally: 'Oh, that I knew (slurred) where I might find Him, that (added note, as you also have) I might comeslur even to His seat' (or 'presence,' perhaps, if the two notes shall not be slurred.)[37] And before the first subject and the first words return, the notes may be altered thus:—
Oh, that I knew, where I might find Him. If with all, &c.
[Listen]
"In No. 7 {5}, I prefer your first idea, 'for He is Lord and God,' to the two others which you propose; and I wish you would have the 'He,' &c., inserted still in the choral parts.
"No. 8 {6}, I prefer an alteration in the notes, and to keep the words:—
and hide thyself by the brook Cherith.
[Listen]
as also—
and thou shalt drink of the brook.
[Listen]
and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee, &c.
[Listen]
"No. 9 {7}. Pray let the beginning stand as in the Bible, viz.:—
For He shall give His angels charge over thee.
[Listen]
and if the end 'and thus harm thee' can be spared, and it can finish with the words 'against a stone,' I should like it better.
"No. 10 {between 7 and 8}, in the middle I propose again to alter the notes in order to keep the Bible version:—
-bide. Behold I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee, and thou shalt want nothing, nor she and her house, through, &c.
[Listen]
"No. 11[38] {8}. Again the same (bar 16, &c.):—
and his sickness is so sore, that there is no breath left in him.
[Listen]
and then—
art thou come to call my sin, to call my sin to remembrance, to slay my son, to slay, to slay my son?
[Listen]
and at the end: 'there is no breath, noslur breathslur left in him,' instead of 'exhausted,' etc.
"Then again:—
ELIJAH. give me thy son.
[Listen]
"And instead of 'that he again may live,' I should prefer always as you have at the end, 'that he again may praise Thee.' Again the music should be altered for the Bible version's sake in this:—
Wilt thou indeed show wonders to the dead?
[Listen]
"In the following Allegro agitato, I prefer 'thy prayer' to 'thy petition,' and beg you will alter the notes accordingly.
"No. 12 {9}.[39] Is it as scriptural to say 'the men' as 'the man'? And if not, could not the sentence be 'Blessed is the man who fears Him, who delights,' and so on? And what do you like better: the amplification, 'light shining over them,' or to say instead of these words, 'to the upright,' and to slur the two notes thus:—
through darkness riseth light, light to the upright.
[Listen]
"Pray do it as you think best.
"At the beginning of No. 13 {10}, I should wish to have the same words as in No. 1, viz.: 'before whom I stand,' instead of 'I tell thee truly.' And instead of 'that the rain may fall,' etc., I should propose:—
and God will send rain again upon the earth.
[Listen]
which is more according to the Bible. I prefer 'Let him be God' to 'He shall be God' (which you have added in pencil). Instead of 'I, even I alone stand here among you,' I propose the alteration:
I, even I, only remain, &c.
[Listen]
"I prefer 'Invoke your forest gods,' etc., as you do.
"In No. 15 {11}, is not the accent extírpate a wrong one? The syllable tir will always be the first in the bar and the strongest, with a marked accent.
"No. 16. {12}
or he is pursuing.
[Listen]
and then—
journey; or, peradventure.
[Listen]
"In No. 18 {13}, could not the words 'with lancets cut yourselves after your manner' be kept?
"No. 20. {14}
people that I have done these things according to Thy word! O hear me, Lord, &c. O hear me Lord, &c.
[Listen]
"I prefer 'and let their hearts again be turned,' as you do.
"In No. 22 {16}, could not the end be: 'and we shall have no other god before Him,' or 'the Lord' (from Exodus xx., 3)? Then instead of 'let not a prophet,' I propose:
and let not one of them escape ye: bring them, &c.
[Listen]
"In No. 23 {18}, I prefer 'thee' &c., to the other version, according to your remarks. But the end I wish thus:—
Woe unto them, woe unto them.
[Listen]
"No. 24. {19}
O Lord, Thou hast overthrown Thine enemies, and destroy'd them! Now look on us, &c.
[Listen]
"Then I wish the following notes altered:—
ELIJAH. Go up now, child, and look toward the sea. Has my prayer been heard by the Lord?
[Listen]
"I also prefer 'the heavens are as brass'—a note might be added. Then afterwards I propose:—
closed up, because they have sinn'd, have sin-ned against Thee
[Listen]
"And afterwards if 'and turn from their sin' seems preferable to you, a note might be added to keep the words as in the Bible. In the following sentence it sounds to me more scriptural to leave the words as in 2 Chronicles vi., 27:—
Then hear from heav'n, and forgive the sin.
[Listen]
"Then I wish the notes altered thus:—
Go up again, and still look towards the sea.
[Listen]
"Then also 'the earth is as iron.' And then would you like this:—
There is a sound of abundance of rain.
[Listen]
"If possible I should wish to have omitted 'I implore Thee,' which does not sound as scriptural to me. If I am wrong, pray leave it; but if not, the words 'to my prayer' might be repeated instead of them. The following is Psalm xxviii., 1:—
Unto Thee will I cry, Lord, my rock: be not silent to me.
[Listen]
and could not the following sentence be thus:—
and Thy great [or: Thy gracious] mercies do remember, O Lord!
[Listen]
"Then I prefer—
like a man's hand!
[Listen]
"Instead of 'His boundless,' I propose to omit the G (the first note), and have instead 'for His' (mercies, &c.), and to add afterwards a note (A), in order to say 'endureth for evermore.' I prefer 'The Lord is above them,' to 'is the highest.'
"I am so very sorry you had that trouble with the words! And the first portion of the second part, which I sent off before the receipt of your letter, was again written in German characters. But the numbers you receive with this will, I hope, be legible; and I have made reference to the verses of the Bible, and will continue to do so. With the next packet you will again receive some pieces, and so always on till the whole (at least of the choruses) is in your hands, which I hope shall not last more than a fourthnight (sic). And if there should be something left it would be here or there a solo-piece, which (as it must not be printed) will easily be done and copied in time. You are right, the great question is, Who is to sing the Elijah?—and I am at a loss why I have not yet heard some news respecting this most essential point.
"My intention was to write no Overture, but to begin directly with the curse. I thought it so energetic. But I will certainly think of what you say about an Introduction, although I am afraid it would be a difficult task, and do not know exactly what it should or could mean before that curse. And after it (I first thought to write the Overture after it), the chorus must immediately come in. Now once more excuse the haste and accept the thanks of
"Yours very truly,
"Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy."
In regard to the Overture, referred to at the end of the foregoing (very long) letter, it may be interesting to quote an extract from one of Bartholomew's letters to Mendelssohn:—
"I have maturely considered, and, with Mr. K[lingemann], think it will be a new feature, and a fine one, to announce the curse, No. 1. Then let an Introductory-movement be played, expressive, descriptive of the misery of famine—for the chorus (I always thought) comes so very quickly and suddenly after the curse, that there seems to elapse no time to produce its results."
It seems evident that Mendelssohn was indebted to Bartholomew for the suggestion of an Overture to "Elijah." That Mendelssohn accomplished what he calls his "difficult task" we know full well, and Bartholomew must have felt quite satisfied when the composer wrote to him and said, "I have written an Overture, and a long one."
[Mendelssohn to Bartholomew.]
[Written in English.]
"Leipzig, 18th July, 1846.
"My dear Sir,—I received yours of the 9th. And many thanks again! And you copy yourself the solo parts! Whatever your reason may be, I feel what an obligation you confer upon me.
"Now I go on with my remarks about those pieces of the second part which you sent me the translation of, viz.: Nos. 33, 34, and 35. By-the-bye: No. 33 will be altered and another Recit. (for a Soprano) comes in its stead with the next parcel; but the words are the same, and your translation will go quite as well to the new Recit.
"In No. 34 I again wish to alter the notes in order to keep the English scriptural version. And it seems to me so important that this should be done that I hope it is time still to make the alteration in all the choral parts. The beginning I wish altered thus:—
And behold, the Lord passed by.
[Listen]
or, if 'passed' must have two syllables:—
Lord pass-ed
[Listen]
"The end of the first phrase 'as He approached' is not quite agreeable to me; could you not find four syllables instead of them (making the two slurred notes single ones)—e.g., 'as the Lord drew near' (don't laugh), or something in which the accent on the last syllable is strong and decided!
"Then comes:—
But the Lord was not in the tempest.
[Listen]
"Then again: 'And behold, the Lord passed by.' And at the end again, 'But the Lord was not in the earthquake.' Also the third time: 'But the Lord was not in the fire.'
But the Lord, &c.
[Listen]
"Then—
And after the fire there came a still small voice
[Listen]
(here I think it is quite necessary to keep the scriptural expression at least at the beginning!) And then perhaps: 'And in that voice the Lord came unto him.'
"The instrumental parts are all copied here, and I bring them with me. Excuse the haste of these lines.—Always yours very truly,
"Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy."
[Mendelssohn to Bartholomew.]
[Written in English.]
"Leipzig, July 21, 1846.
"My dear Sir,—After I had sent off my last letter to you in the morning, yours of the 14th arrived in the evening. I hasten to answer it, and will send the metronomes in a few days, when the last two pieces of the second part will come.
"You receive to-day all the pieces that were still wanting in the 2nd part, and only the Nos. 36, 37, 38, and 39 are now to come, and will be sent off in a few days (two of them are but short recitatives), so that I hope everything is now safe with regard to rehearsals, &c., &c.
"I am quite of your opinion, that accent is the thing, and I much prefer the alteration of a few notes to a bad accent. So I hope you left 'Be not afraid, saith God the Lord, be not afraid, for I am near,' which seems to me much better than the other. At any rate, I hope to stay 6 or 8 or 10 days in London before the Festival.
"In the song, 'O rest in the Lord' (Sei stille dem Herrn), I beg you will adopt something like the words of Ps. 37, v. 4, instead of the words 'and He will ever keep the righteous'! 'and He shall give thee' does very well with the notes; and there is only another expression, instead of 'the desires of thy heart,' necessary to make it fit the music and everything. And instead of the end 'He will defend thee,' &c., I should prefer also Ps. 37, v. 8, perhaps so: 'and cease from anger, and fret not thyself'; or, 'and cease fromslur anger and forsake the wrath,' which will do with the alteration of one or two notes being not slurred instead of slurred, and vice versâ.
"And pray let always accent go first, especially in the Choruses! And Songs! And Recitatives!
"Always yours very truly,
Mendelssohn's request for a good verbal accent throughout the whole translation of his oratorio is frequently expressed in these letters. No less anxious was he to retain, as nearly as possible, the familiar words of the English Bible, in preference to introducing new wordings of well-known texts—e.g., "Oh! that I knew where I might find Him."[40] And when this was not practicable, he would often alter the notes in order to gain his desired end. It is evident from these letters that Mendelssohn knew the English Bible well.
"O rest in the Lord" has attained such widespread popularity that it will come as a surprise to many to learn that, before the first performance, Mendelssohn decided to eliminate this favourite air from his oratorio. When Bartholomew received the manuscript of the song, he found that the melody began thus:—
Sei stille dem Herrn, und warte auf ihn.
[Listen]
He at once wrote the following letter to Mendelssohn:—
"2, Walcot Place, Hackney,
"July 20, 1846.
"And now, my dear Sir, having done all I can with 'Elijah,' as much as I have of it—having corrected and revised the second proofs of its printed first portion, and made the alterations you suggested—nearly all—one or two remaining for your assistance to complete—I am about to take a great liberty with you, and the impulse which prompts it—be it offensive or not—you must place to the account of the feeling which you or your music has inspired within me. And what is your music but yourself?—the incarnation of your spirit, made material by creation, and thus apparent—apparent through the agency of the body!
"Do you know a Scotch air, called 'Robin Gray'?[41]
Young Jamie lov'd me well, and ask'd me for his bride, &c.
[Listen]
"Now compare the aria (Andante, without a number) 'Sei stille dem Herrn' ['O rest in the Lord'] with it. You may, perhaps, see nothing semblant in the two; but so much warranty have I for thinking that there is, that when Buxton—who brought it to me while I was with Miss Mounsey,[42] examining some of the proofs of your 'Elijah'—heard her, at his request, try it over—I being engaged at the table copying—he said: 'Why that's like "Robin Gray"!' I thought so, ere the above phrase was completed, and Miss Mounsey agreed with our opinions. I said nothing more then, but when I returned home I looked at it again, and at bar 10—look at it!—see the close:—[43]
| pound were both for me. | Bar 10. führen. |
| [Listen] | [Listen] |
"Other distinct features may be traced, but these two are enough to give it the stamp of at least an imitation, which if you intend it to be, I have nothing further to say on the subject; except that it will lay you open to the impertinence of the saucy boys of the musical press, one of whom has had the audacity to accuse you of copying, borrowing, making your own, the ideas of the little man of the party!...
"Enough of this. Place what I have said to the right side of my friendly account in your ledger lines! If you alter the notation of the song, bring or send me another score of it, and I will take care to place this one only in your own hands. Mr. Klingemann thought I ought to tell you of the coincidence, I having mentioned it to him."
In answer to this letter—which Mendelssohn erroneously considered to be a request to omit the song—came the following reply:—
[Mendelssohn to Bartholomew.]
[Written in English.]
"Leipzig, July 28, 1846.[44]
"My dear Sir,—Here are the metronomes, which I beg you will give the director of the choruses; but tell him that I cannot promise they will be exactly the same, but nearly so, I think.
"Many thanks for your last letter, with the remarks about the song ['O rest in the Lord']. I do not recollect having heard the Scotch ballad to which you allude, and certainly did not think of it, and did not choose to imitate it; but as mine is a song to which I always had an objection (of another kind), and as the ballad seems much known, and the likeness very striking, and before all, as you wish it, I shall leave it out altogether (I think), and have altered the two last bars of the preceding recitative, so that the chorus in F may follow it immediately. Perhaps I shall bring another song in its stead, but I doubt it, and even believe it to be an improvement if it is left out.
"You receive here Nos. 36, 38, and 39. The only piece which is not now in your hands is No. 37, a song of Elijah ['For the mountains shall depart']. And this (and perhaps one song to be introduced in the first part) I shall either send or bring myself, for they will require only few words, and it will be plenty of time to copy the vocal parts, and the instrumental ones I bring over with me. I hope to be in London on the 17th, and beg you will let us have a grand meeting on the 18th, to settle all the questions and the copies of the solo parts.
"Always yours very truly,
"Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy."
It may perhaps be as well to complete the history of "O rest in the Lord" before proceeding farther, even at the risk of a little repetition. Mendelssohn does not seem to have liked the implied plagiarism of "Auld Robin Gray," although he says he had an "objection" to his song "O rest in the Lord" "of another kind." He repeated his request that it "must be left out" (see next letter). Bartholomew, however, wrote to him saying: "Why omit the song 'O rest,' when merely a note or two of the melody being changed would completely obliterate the identity, and I think not spoil the song as a whole? If you omit it, and especially upon such a reason as my hint may have afforded, I shall be very much pained."
This last sentence must have so touched Mendelssohn's feelings that he somewhat relented from his former decision. He wrote to Bartholomew: "About the song 'O rest in the Lord,' we will settle everything when we meet." Bartholomew strongly urged him to retain the now familiar air; but even at the eleventh hour (at the rehearsal in London) Mendelssohn still wished to delete it from the oratorio. However, the advice of his friends ultimately prevailed, and "O rest in the Lord" was thereby spared the fate of utter oblivion. Mendelssohn altered the fifth note of the melody (taking it down to C instead of up to G) in order to destroy the supposed "Auld Robin Gray" likeness; but it is amusing to notice that he retained his original note in the coda of the song, where, in two places, the fifth note goes up to G![45]
This break in the continuity of the correspondence may afford an opportunity of mentioning a phrase used by Bartholomew in one of his letters to Mendelssohn, which he calls "Irish Echoes." He says: "We must mind that any notation which may be altered shall not affect the band parts. Excuse my naming this. You do not write Irish Echoes—but yet by altering the notation they may inadvertently arise. Lest you should not know what I mean by an 'Irish Echo,' this may explain it. An Irishman, boasting of his country, said: 'It had an Echo, which, if you said 'How d'ye do?' replied, 'Pretty well, I thank you!'"
But to resume the continuation of the letters:—
[Mendelssohn to Bartholomew.]
[Written in English.]
"Leipzig, August 9, 1846.
"My dear Sir,—I write these lines merely to tell you that I hope to see and speak to you on the 17th or 18th, and to ask you to defer the printing of the words of 'Elijah' in the books till after my arrival if possible. Moscheles writes they want to print the books now, but I really think that a week beforehand is early enough. However, as I do not know how these things are managed in England, I beg that if it must be done before my arrival, you will introduce the following alterations:
"1. After the words of Elijah (the curse), and before the 1st chorus, I should like to have in the books 'Introduction,' or 'Overture,' or some word like this, to let people know that an Overture is coming before the chorus—for I have written one, and a long one.
"2. The song 'Sei stille dem Herrn' ['O rest in the Lord'] must be left out.
"3. The second part of No. 41, 'Er wird öffnen die Augen der Blinden,' must also be left out; so that from the words 'und der Furcht des Herrn' ['and of the fear of the Lord'] it goes immediately to the quartett in B flat 'Wohlan, denn' ['O come, every one that thirsteth']. Pray let the choral people at Birmingham know this directly; it will spare them much time, as the Alla breve is not easy, and as I am sure I will not let it stand. Of course the whole beginning of No. 41, 'Aber einer erscheint, &c.; der wird des Herrn Namen' must stand and not be omitted; merely from the Alla breve, and from the 1st introduction of the words 'Er wird öffnen,' is to be left out.[46]
"Pray excuse all this trouble; and let me thank you in person for all the hard work you have had on my account.
"Always very truly yours,
"Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy."
[Mendelssohn to Bartholomew.]
[Written in English.]
"Leipzig, August 10, 1846.
"My dear Sir,—In the letter I wrote to you yesterday I forgot to mention the words of the song which I bring with me (the No. 37 which is still wanting in your score) in case it should be indispensable to have the books printed before my arrival. They are from Isaiah liv., 10, and I find that the English words will apply literally to my music; so I beg you will let No. 37 stand thus in the English version: No. 37, Arioso (Elijah). 'For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed; but Thy kindness shall not depart from me, neither shall the covenant of Thy peace be removed.'
"Excuse my negligence and the two letters.
"Always yours very truly,
"Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy,
"who hopes to see you this day week."
"P.S.—I re-open this letter because I receive this moment yours of the 4th.—Many, many thanks for all the trouble you take. I shall bring an organ part if possible; and be sure that I shall not be dissatisfied with any thing you may have done under your responsibility; I know you too well for that. The synopsis of the second part is quite right, and with the addition of No. 37 (as above) it is all in order. I am certain our conference will not be half so difficult as you anticipate, and in a few hours we will have settled everything. Can we meet on the 18th at Mr. Klingemann's? About the song, 'O rest in the Lord,' we will settle everything when we meet."
Mendelssohn and Bartholomew duly met in London, and the "everything" included numerous finishing touches and alterations, both in regard to the English words and the music. The correspondence between the two men was only temporarily suspended. It was renewed, with all its old characteristics, when "Elijah" was under revision; and the subsequent letters from Mendelssohn to his English translator will be found in Chapter V.—"The Revised Oratorio."
Mendelssohn arrived in London on August 17 or 18 (1846), and again stayed with Klingemann, at 4, Hobart Place, Eaton Square. A pianoforte rehearsal of the vocal solos of "Elijah" was held on the 19th (Wednesday), at Moscheles's house, 3, Chester Place, Regent's Park. Mendelssohn commenced the rehearsal by playing the Overture from memory, to the delight and admiration of those who heard it. The lady vocalists gave the composer some trouble. The soprano requested him to transpose "Hear ye, Israel," a whole tone down, and to make certain changes to suit her particular style! "It was not a lady's song," she said. Mendelssohn resisted with studied politeness, and said, "I intended this song for the principal soprano; if you do not like it I will ask the Committee to give it to some other vocalist." Afterwards, when alone with Moscheles, he most unreservedly expressed himself as to the "coolness of such suggestions."
When "O rest in the Lord" was tried over, the singer was anxious to introduce a long shake (on D) at the close! "No," said the composer, "I have kept that for my orchestra," and he then archly played the familiar shake, which is given to the flute in the orchestral accompaniment. He was still doubtful, even at the eleventh hour, whether he should not withdraw "O rest in the Lord." "It is too sweet," he said. His friends urged him at least to try its effect, and ultimately their advice was accepted. Mr. Charles Lockey, the young tenor singer, immediately won the composer's golden opinion, and Mendelssohn was more than satisfied with his beautiful and sympathetic voice at the first performance. The tenor solos had been previously assigned to Mr. J.W. Hobbs, who generously relinquished them in favour of the younger singer. The soloists had to sing from MS. copies which contained only the vocal melody and bass of the accompaniment. These copies, neatly written by Bartholomew on oblong-folio music-paper, contain several alterations in Mendelssohn's own hand.
The orchestral parts had been previously tried over and corrected at Leipzig; the way was therefore made smooth for the band rehearsals in London. These rehearsals took place at the Hanover Square Rooms on the Thursday and Friday preceding the Festival. "Mendelssohn," records the late Mr. Rockstro, "looked very worn and nervous; yet he would suffer no one to relieve him, even in the scrutiny of the orchestral parts, which he himself spread out on some benches beneath the windows on the left-hand side of the room, and insisted upon sorting out and examining for himself." The late Henry Lazarus, the eminent clarinettist, related to me a personal incident in connection with this first London rehearsal. Near the end of the chorus "He, watching over Israel," occurs the following instrumental phrase in the clarinets and flutes—a phrase which is not fully discernible in the pianoforte arrangement of the score, and which is practically inaudible at a performance:—
Bar 14 from the end. Chorus. slumbers not, sleeps, not, &c.
[[Listen]
"Mr. Lazarus," said Mendelssohn, "will you kindly make that phrase a little stronger, as I wish it to stand out more prominently? I know I have marked it piano." "Of course," added Mr. Lazarus, "I was playing it religiously as marked."
The story that the holding C's for the oboe in No. 19 (which accompany "There is nothing") were inserted by Mendelssohn at the end of the first rehearsal to satisfy Grattan Cooke, the oboeist, is a pure myth. A MS. score of the work, used at Birmingham, and now in the possession of Messrs. Novello, Ewer and Co., shows that these notes were not subsequently added, but formed part of the original design. Moreover, Mendelssohn would hardly be guilty of the mock-descriptive in allowing the words "There is nothing" to be sung without any accompaniment. And Cooke could not complain that the composer had not given him any oboe solos, after he had played the beautiful oboe obbligato in "For the mountains shall depart," which was doubtless written by Mendelssohn expressly for Cooke.[47] The story probably took its origin from the following circumstance, which has been fully told by Dr. E.J. Hopkins. When the vocal score of "Elijah" was first published, Mendelssohn presented a copy to Grattan Cooke, who was a great favourite with the composer. In this copy Mendelssohn wrote the following inscription:—
music
[[Listen]
"An Grattan Cooke, zum freundlichen Andenken.
"Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.
"London, Frühling, 1847."
Mendelssohn knew that Grattan Cooke was fond of a joke, and, as Dr. Hopkins says, the composer's quiet humour is well shown in the above inscription. The length of the note is seven bars of slow time, the last of which is not only indefinitely prolonged by a pause, but has in addition a crescendo and diminuendo mark. "Any oboeist," observes the Temple organist, "who would dare to try and sustain that note as directed would, before bringing it to a termination, himself cease to exist!"[48]
"Elijah" was honoured with the novelty of a preliminary analytical notice in The Times of Monday, August 24, 1846, two days before the first performance. This article, two columns in length, was one of the earliest contributions of the late J.W. Davison, on his joining the staff of The Times, of which paper he was for many years the musical critic.
Euston station presented an animated scene on the Sunday afternoon preceding the Festival, when a special train, which left London at 2 p.m., conveyed Mendelssohn, the solo singers, the band, the London contingent of the chorus, and the "Gentlemen of the Press" to Birmingham.
Monday morning was set apart for a full rehearsal of "Elijah" in the Town Hall, which is thus described in the Birmingham Journal:—
Mendelssohn was received by the performers with great enthusiasm, renewed again and again, as his lithe and petit figure bent in acknowledgment of these spontaneous and gratifying tributes to his genius, personal affability, and kindness.... His manner, both in the orchestra and in private, is exceedingly pleasing. His smile is winning, and occasionally, when addressing a friendly correction to the band or choir, full of comic expression. He talks German with great volubility and animation, and speaks English remarkably well. He possesses a remarkable power over the performers, moulding them to his will, and though rigidly strict in exacting the nicest precision, he does it in a manner irresistible—actually laughing them into perfection. Some of his remarks are exceedingly humorous. In the Overture to the "Midsummer Night's Dream" [played at the Festival], the gradations of sound were not well preserved; a rattle of his bâton on the music-stand brings the band to a dead halt. "Gentlemen," says Mendelssohn, "that won't do. All fortissimo, all pianissimo, no piano! A little piano between, if you please. Must have piano, gentlemen; when you come to fortissimo, do as you like." All this is expressed with animation and good humour, and a roar of laughter over, the band tries again, and a smile playing on the expressive features of the conductor, attests the power of his pleasantly administered corrective.... At its conclusion the whole band and chorus broke into a torrent of enthusiastic acclamation. After the oratorio had been rehearsed, Mendelssohn expressed himself highly pleased with the manner in which the performers had rendered his work, and complimented them on their extraordinary efficiency.
As Moscheles, the Conductor-in-chief of the Festival, was unwell, Mendelssohn conducted the evening rehearsal for him. At Mendelssohn's request the usual Tuesday evening concert was given up for an extra rehearsal of "Elijah." "After the rehearsal," says Mrs. Moscheles, "I helped Mr. Bartholomew in correcting the 'text,' and so we went on till one o'clock in the morning."
The band and chorus for the Festival consisted of 396 performers. The band, mostly of the Philharmonic and the Opera orchestras, numbered 125 players—93 strings and double wood-wind. The chorus, including a contingent of 62 from London, totalled 271, distributed thus: sopranos, 79; altos (all male voices, "bearded altos," as Mendelssohn called them), 60; tenors, 60; and basses, 72.
The principal vocalists in "Elijah" were Madame Caradori-Allan, Miss Maria B. Hawes, Mr. Charles Lockey, and Herr Staudigl; the subordinate parts were filled by the Misses Williams (who sang the duet "Lift thine eyes," now the trio), Miss Bassano, Mr. J.W. Hobbs, Mr. Henry Phillips, and Mr. Machin. Dr. Gauntlett was specially engaged to play the organ in the new oratorio. Mr. James Stimpson was the chorus-master and official organist of the Festival.
The first performance of "Elijah" took place in the Birmingham Town Hall, on Wednesday morning, August 26, 1846. Benedict thus describes the scene: "The noble Town Hall was crowded at an early hour of that forenoon with a brilliant and eagerly-expectant audience. It was an anxious and solemn moment. Every eye had long been directed towards the conductor's desk, when, at half-past eleven o'clock, a deafening shout from the band and chorus announced the approach of the great composer. The reception he met with from the assembled thousands on stepping into his place was absolutely overwhelming; whilst the sun, emerging at that moment, seemed to illumine the vast edifice in honour of the bright and pure being who stood there the idol of all beholders."
The new oratorio was received with extraordinary enthusiasm, and the composer's expectations of his work were more than realised. The Times said: "The last note of 'Elijah' was drowned in a long-continued unanimous volley of plaudits, vociferous and deafening. It was as though enthusiasm, long-checked, had suddenly burst its bonds and filled the air with shouts of exultation. Mendelssohn, evidently overpowered, bowed his acknowledgments, and quickly descended from his position in the conductor's rostrum; but he was compelled to appear again, amidst renewed cheers and huzzas. Never was there a more complete triumph—never a more thorough and speedy recognition of a great work of art."
Eight numbers were encored: "If with all your hearts," "Baal, we cry to thee," "Regard Thy servant's prayer" (now "Cast thy burden"), "Thanks be to God," "He, watching over Israel," "O rest in the Lord," "For the mountains shall depart," and "O! every one that thirsteth." Herr Staudigl gave a majestic and ideal rendering of the music of the Prophet. In the opinion of the late Mr. Stimpson, who spoke from forty years' experience of the Birmingham Festivals, Staudigl's interpretation of the bass part has never yet been equalled. The junior tenor of the Festival, Mr. Charles Lockey, fairly won his laurels. He sang his two songs "deliciously," says a critic; the first, "If with all your hearts," was encored, and "the smile upon Mendelssohn's face while it was being sung showed how much he was pleased with the chaste execution of this young tenor." The soprano and contralto soloists failed to satisfy Mendelssohn.
No small measure of the success of the performance was due to Mr. Stimpson, the unwearied chorus-master. At its conclusion Mendelssohn took him by both hands and said: "What can I give you in return for what you have done for my work?" The composer was delighted with the manner in which the band and chorus had rendered his music; and an old member of the band records "the eagerness with which Mendelssohn shook hands with all who could get near him in the artists' room, thanking them warmly for the performance." A veteran member of the choir, speaking from the recollections and experiences of more than fifty years, says of Mendelssohn's appearance and conducting: "It was one of the most impressive memories I have in matters musical."
Before going into the Hall, Mendelssohn said to Chorley, the musical critic of the Athenæum: "Now stick your claws into my book. Don't tell me what you like, but tell me what you don't like." After the performance, he said in his merriest manner to Chorley: "Come, and I will show you the prettiest walk in Birmingham." He then led the critic and other friends to the banks of the canal, bordered by coal and cinder heaps. There, on the towing-path between the bridges, they walked for more than an hour discussing the new oratorio. According to the late Mr. Moore, it was then and there, amidst the scenery of the cinder heaps, that a sudden thought struck Mendelssohn to change "Lift thine eyes" from a duet into a trio.
Shortly after this "prettiest walk in Birmingham," Mendelssohn poured out his delighted feelings to his brother Paul in the following letter:—