Page:The history of Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah'.djvu/54

 HISTORY OF MENDELSSOHW'S •'ELIJAH."

he was writing the soprano part of his " EHjah." " He used it with striking effect, as the initial note of the first phrase in ' Hear ye, Israel,' and in many other passages, in which it rings like a trumpet-call throughout the air."* This will account for Mendelssohn's having set '* Hear ye, Israel," in the keys of B minor and B major — the dominant note of which, and the predominating note of the air, is the said " F sharp."

Mendelssohn definitely accepted the invitation of the Birmingham Committee in the following letter, which, however, still left the new oratorio an ** open question " : —

[To Joseph Moore, Esq.]

[Written in English. \

" Leipzig, December ii, 1845.

" My dear Sir, — Many thanks for your very kind letter. I have now made up my mind to come to Birmingham in August ; but I wish to conduct only my own music, as in former years, and have nothing to do with the other parts of the programme. I cannot yet give any promise as to my new oratorio ; but in a month or two I shall be able to tell you for certain whether, and when, I can send it. If I cannot, I would try to propose something else of my new music. You want something, whether new or old, for the Friday : would the ' Walpurgisnacht ' do for it? I conducted it only once in England, at the last Philharmonic, 1844, and they seemed to like it

• " Memoir of Madame Jenny Lind-Goldschmidt." By H. Scott HollandandW. S. Rockstro. London: John Murray(r89i). II.p. 243. ( 36 )

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