Page:The history of Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah'.djvu/42

 HISTORY OF MENDELSSOHN'S "ELIJAH."

��sense of the ending must remain essentially as I have suggested — the words themselves are immaterial.

" Your enquiry whether Elisha may sing soprano is comical. Such a question should not be put by one who has set Christ's words for a chorus.* There can be no doubt that at that time Elisha was no more a child. The word Knabe {Knappe) is to be under- stood as referring to service, not to youth, like o T^aic in classical Greek. One who ploughs with twelve yoke of oxen (i Kings xix., 19) is no child. Do you know any passage where Elisha is called a boy? I think there is none. The first reference to him is in I Kings xix., 19 [? 16].

" I earnestly hope that some of these suggestions may suit you, so that the work can get on. The news that Part I. is already finished has given me great joy."

A short letter (August 8, 1S46), in which Schubring sends Mendelssohn a further suggestion, completes the " Elijah " correspondence between the composer and his clerical friend.

Schubring, in his pleasant ** Reminiscences " already referred to (p. 10), thus speaks of his con- nection with the composer in compiling the book of " St. Paul," Mendelssohn's first oratorio : —

" Subsequently to 1832, we frequently discussed the subject of oratorio 'texts.' With regard to ' St. Paul,' a considerable amount of preliminary labour

• The reference is to "St. Paul," in which, at Schubring's suggestion, Mendelssohn has set the words, " Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? " for four-part female chorus. ( 26 )

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