Page:The history of Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah'.djvu/129

 THE REVISED ORATORIO.

��At last I took those passages from the Psalms which best apply to the situation, and composed them in about the same style and colour, and very glad I was when I found (as I looked into the English Bible) that the beginning went word byword as in German. But after the beginning my joy was soon at an end, and there it is that I must ask you to come to my [22]; Psalm cviii., 5 [4]; and Psalm xxv., 3.
 * ' In the chorus No. 16, I added the German words

thought that the English translation, * adoring,' etc., did not express the meaning entirely, nor did it render the rhythm of the German, which is still more to be felt by the bar I have added before the pause. Our
 * Fallt nieder auf euer Angesicht,' in pencil, because I

think, than to * bow down ' or * to adore ' ; but query whether it can or should be given in English !*
 * fallt nieder ' means something still more awful, I

"You will also find the Allegro of the Soprano song at the beginning of Part 2 [' Hear ye, Israel '] with the subsequent chorus. I never thought of omitting

��• The original English words in No. i6 (Chorus) were : — " Bow down, bow down ! on your faces fall adoring ! ' They are now " Before Him, upon your faces fall." The music of this number was also much altered. The impressive phrase, "upon your faces fall," just before the Chorale, was originally : —

���a - dor-ing,

��a-dor-ing! The Lord is God, &c.

���( 107 )

�� �