Mendelssohn: Elijah

Felix Mendelssohn’s gargantuan 1846 oratorio is biblical in scale as well as source material. Inspired by the Baroque-era oratorios of Bach and Handel, Mendelssohn set to work on Elijah following a commission from Birmingham’s Triennial Music Festival. As a frequent visitor to England, Mendelssohn was keenly aware of the popularity of Handel’s English-language, large-scale vocal works. And as a champion of Bach’s music, he had recently presided over the first performance since the composer’s death, in 1750, of the St Matthew Passion. Boasting 42 movements, Elijah is a substantial work and calls upon the forces of a full orchestra, organist, eight solo singers, and a large chorus. This acclaimed 1997 recording features superstar soloists Bryn Terfel and Renée Fleming in the roles of the prophet and the widow, respectively, and features a fantastic, historically informed accompaniment by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.