Page:The history of Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah'.djvu/66

 CHAPTER III.

��THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION.

The music of " Elijah " was composed to German words ; an English version was therefore necessary. Mendelssohn had no hesitation in assigning the task of making the English translation to Mr. Bartholomew — " the translator /)a;' excellence,'" as he called him — who is so well known as the translator or adaptor of Mendelssohn's " Athalie," ** Antigone," " CEdipus," " Lauda Sion," " Walpurgis Night," the Finale to part-songs. Bartholomew also supplied the words of " Hear my Prayer," " which," he says, " its dear and lamented author composed for my paraphrastic version of the 55th Psalm."
 * Loreley," " Christus," and many of his songs and

William Bartholomew (1793 — 1867) was " a man of many accomplishments — chemist, violin player, and excellent flower painter." In 1841 he submitted to Mendelssohn the libretto of a fairy opera, entitled " Christmas Night's Dream " ; and in this way an acquaintance commenced which developed into a { 48 )

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