Page:The history of Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah'.djvu/134

 HISTORY OF MEXDELSSOHN'S "ELIJAH."

Predigt? ' [' Who hath believed our report? '], and in the Allegro, instead of 'Wake up, Jerusalem,' etc., the direct appeal to Elijah, ' Weiche nicht, denn ich bin dcin Gott, ich starke dich ! ' ['Be not afraid, for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee.'], Isaiah xli., lo, from which also the following chorus [' Be not afraid'] is taken.*

" I hope the scene with the Queen and people [No. 23] will now offer less difficulties to you, as the * Er ist des Todes schuldig ' [' He is worthy to die '] occurs but once ; and 5'ou will also see that I took your hint about their seeking Elijah, &c., &c.

"In the Terzetto, No. 28 ['Lift thine eyes'], w>thout accompaniment, there might perhaps be an occasion for altering the words, although they are exactly the same as they were in the Duet ; but I do not think the beginning would do well with the English words of the Duet A

sung at Birmingham) of this well-known air.
 * It may be interesting to give the original English words (as

Adagio. — " Hear ye, Israel ; hear what the Lord speaketh : ' Ah ! had'st thou heeded my commandments ! ' He to His people calleth ; yet they regard not His voice, nor will they obey His call.

Recit. — Yet to the righteous, saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel;

Allegro — I, I am he that comforteth, and ye are mine. Wake up, arise, Jerusalem ! Say, who art thou that despairest, and forgettest the Lord thy Maker ; who hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the earth's foundations? Wake up, arise, Jerusalem ! "

f " Lift thine eyes" was originally written as a duet for soprano and contralto, and in this form it was sung at Birmingham by the Misses Williams. Mendelssohn, according to the late Mr. Lazarus, was very desirous that there should be no bre.ik between the trio, " Lift thine eyes," and the succeeding chorus, " He, watching over Israel." His special direction at the end of the trio, " Attacca, No. 29," shows the importance he attached to the connecting of these two numbers — the trio and the chorus of angels.

( "2 )

�� �