Page:The history of Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah'.djvu/25

 THE LIBRETTO.

��to the fate of his projected oratorio (of "Elijah"). Klingemann, however, does not seem to have con- sidered the matter as being of such paramount importance. His reply to Mendelssohn's letter of January g could not have been very reassuring to the composer, if we may judge from the following letter : —

[Mendelssohn to Klingemann.]

" Leipzig, February 9, 1838.

now intending to become poetical (as you express it), but you need to live to be a hundred years old for it. If I now therefore ask you, when you can send me a worked-out copy of our ' plan,' do not see in the question an overhearing reminder. I am just now in such good working trim, and I must work for the next few years with a will and get on. I have responsibilities now, and also a great longing for work, and I think I could write an oratorio within a year. My new Psalm,* which we tried for the first time the day before yesterday, and which pleases me more than any other church music of mine, proves to me that I am right ; for I wrote five new numbers for it quite lately, which makes it sound now as I wanted it to sound. The opera libretto — if I get it — will not be ready before the middle of the summer. I should like to have a new oratorio for the Diisseldorf Festival in 1839 • • • therefore, for all these reasons, I must ask you : when could you send it (the
 * You say in your letter that . . . you are
 * sketch ') to me? And if other occupations, or


 * Probably " As the hart pants."

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