Page:The history of Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah'.djvu/30

 HISTORY OF MENDELSSOHN'S "ELIJAH."

��Schubrinj:^ sent to Mendelssohn another " plan," for Part I., dated " Reformationsfest [October 31], 1838," accompanying it with the following (selected) •observations*: —

[SCHUBRING TO MENDELSSOHN.]

" I have sought throughout— although it is not always possible — to introduce pieces, not merely ■suitable to the particular situation in question, but such as might awaken an echo in the hearts of the hearers — as, for instance, this aria [' If with all your hearts'] . I have noticed that in \our ' St. Paul,' for example, such numbers have excited the most interest. ... In oratorios it does no iiarm if you exaggerate the dramatic effect : on tlic contrary. it seems to me necessar}-. ... I think it will •often occur to you, as it does to me, to marvel at the manifold tilings which can be found in the Bible."

In the letter! (" Dessau, November i, 1S38 ") which accompanied the new " plan," Schubring remarks : —

"... I fear the first part will be too rich, •or rather the second part too poor. I confess I ha\e some misgivings about the second. As it now stands it is far from pleasing me. If not unreasonable, I would propose to bring in the rain scene at the beginning of the second part, and something could certainly be found to replace it in the first part.


 * " Briefwechsel. ' p. u.). ] Ibid., p. 137.

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