Mendelssohn – Elijah

Southampton Philharmonic Choir & Southampton University Philharmonic Choir

’… intensely dramatic’

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was probably the greatest child prodigy composer of all time, producing outstanding works throughout his teens and early adulthood – greater even than Mozart’s.

Mendelssohn’s first oratorio, St Paul, written when he was just 27, was a huge success and the composer straight away began planning a second oratorio. Elijah appeared ten years later as a result of a commission from the Birmingham Festival in 1846, a year before his early death.

The resulting work became the Messiah of its day; hugely popular from the first performance. Elijah is the outstanding oratorio of the nineteenth century with its intensely dramatic Old Testament themes thrilling singers and audiences alike. The choral and orchestral range of colour and lyrical intensity have cemented Mendelssohn’s position as a Romantic genius and Elijah’s combination of dramatic themes, fervent passion and expressive opulence will surely maintain that popularity for all time.

Performed in English.