Page:The history of Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah'.djvu/67

 THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION.

��close friendship between the two men — a friendship severed only by death.

Here is Mendelssohn's first letter to Bartholomew on the subject of " Elijah."

��[Mendelssohn to Bartholomew.]

[Written in English.]

" Leipzig, May ii, 1846.*

of the 4th, to which I hasten to reply, and to tell you that the oratorio for the Birmingham Festival is not the ' Athalie ' (nor the * CEdipus,' of course), but a much greater, and (to me) more important work than both together ; that it is not quite yet finished, but that I write continually to finish it in time ; and that I intend sending over the first part (the longest of the two it will have) in the course of the next ten or twelve days. I asked Mr. Moore from Birmingham to have it translated by you, and I have no doubt he will communicate with you about it as soon as he gets my letter, which I wrote four or five days ago ; and I beg you will be good enough, if you can undertake it, to try to find some leisure time towards the end of this month, that the Choral parts with English words may be as soon as possible in the hands of the Chorus singers. And pray give it your best English words, for till now I feel so much more interest in
 * My dear Sir, — Many thanks for your kind letter

of the Royal College of Music. The " important work " referred to in the letter is, of course, the oratorio of " Elijah." ( 49 )
 * The original autograph of this letter is now in the Library

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