CHAPTER V.

THE REVISED ORATORIO.

Mendelssohn, upon his return to Leipzig, was much exhausted after the severe strain of composing, and the exertion connected with the production of "Elijah." But, although he led "a vegetable existence, doing nothing the whole day but eat and sleep and take walks," he very soon began to work at the revision of his new oratorio. It has been shown that Mendelssohn had to write against time in order to complete his oratorio for the Birmingham Festival; and after--if not before, or during--the first performance he discovered numerous instances in which the work could be greatly improved. He told Mr. Bartholomew that he should make _many_ alterations, and he did. In a letter to Klingemann, dated December 6, 1846, Mendelssohn says:--

"I have again begun to work with all my might at my 'Elijah,' and hope to amend the greater part of what I thought deficient at the first performance. I have quite completed one of the most difficult parts (the Widow); and I am sure you will be satisfied with the alterations which I may call improvements. 'Elijah' has become far more impressive and solemn here. I missed that in my first version and was annoyed by this want; but, unfortunately, I never find out such things till afterwards, and till I have improved them. I hope, too, to hit upon the true sense of other passages that we have discussed together. I shall most seriously revise all that I did not deem satisfactory; and I hope to see the whole completely finished within a few weeks, so as to be able to set to work on something new. The parts that I have already remodelled prove to me again that I am right not to rest till such work is as good as it is in my power to make it; even though very few people care to hear about such things, or notice them, and even though they take very much time; yet the impression such passages, if really better, produce in themselves and on the whole work, is such a different one, that I feel I cannot leave them as they now stand."

In a letter to his English publisher, Mr. Buxton (Ewer & Co.), Mendelssohn calls this habit of constant alteration a "dreadful disease," from which he suffered chronically and severely. He says: "I was sorry to see that you will have to make so many alterations in the choral parts; but I think I told you before, that I was subject to this dreadful disease of altering as long as I did not feel my conscience quite at rest, and therefore I could not help it, and you must bear it patiently." In the same letter (written in English) he says:--"I did what I could to reconcile myself to the idea of adding a few bars to the Overture to make it a separate piece, and give it a conclusion; but, I assure you, it is _impossible_. I tried hard to do what you want, in order to show my goodwill--but I could not find an end, and I am sure there _is_ none to be found."

The chief alterations (to quote from Sir George Grove's invaluable article "Mendelssohn," in his "Dictionary of Music and Musicians," II., 289) were:--

"The chorus 'Help, Lord!' (No. 1), much changed: the end of the double quartett (No. 7), re-written: the scene with the Widow (No. 8), entirely re-cast and much extended: the chorus 'Blessed are the men' (No. 9), re-scored: the words of the quartett 'Cast thy burden' (No. 15), new: the soprano air 'Hear ye' (No. 21), added to and re-constructed: in the Jezebel scene a new chorus, 'Woe to him' (No. 24), in place of a suppressed one, 'Do unto him as he hath done,' and the recitative 'Man of God' added: the trio 'Lift thine eyes' (No. 28) was originally a duet, quite different: Obadiah's recitative and air (No. 25) are new: the chorus 'Go, return,' and Elijah's answer (No. 36) are also new. The last chorus (No. 42) is entirely re-written to fresh words, the text having formerly been 'Unto Him that is abundantly able,' etc. The _omissions_ are chiefly a movement of 95 {86} bars, _alla breve_, to the words 'He shall open the eyes of the blind,' which formed the second part of the chorus 'But thus saith the Lord' (No. 41), and a recitative for tenor, 'Elijah is come already; and yet they have known him not; but have done unto him whatsoever they listed,' with which Part II. of the oratorio originally opened. In addition to these more prominent alterations, there is hardly a movement throughout the work which has not been more or less worked upon."

The phrase of four bars (instrumental) at the end of "Man of God" (No. 25), and leading into "It is enough," was an afterthought, and, like the overture, was due to the English translator. Bartholomew made the suggestion--a hint, it may be called, but a very interesting one--in the following words: "Elijah--'Tarry here, my servant, and I will go a day's journey into the wilderness.' What if an instrumental interlude (short) gave time for the journey? and then, spent with fatigue, he might, from very weariness, say, 'It is enough!'"

Another interesting instance of Mendelssohn's afterthoughts is that near the end of the last Baal chorus, where the sustained and piercing cry of the sopranos and altos was _not_ originally re-echoed by the tenors and basses:--

[Music: Hear and answer.]

The above impressive response to the entreaty of the female voices is inserted, in Bartholomew's writing, in a proof copy of the oratorio, now in my possession. Its appropriateness is unquestionable; yet it was not in the original version.

The Sacred Harmonic Society, who, in 1837, had enrolled Mendelssohn as a member, and had presented him with a silver snuff-box,[53] were very anxious to be the first to perform the revised oratorio. Within a month of the Birmingham performance, the Secretary addressed to Mendelssohn a long letter, in which (1) the Society congratulated the composer upon the success of his new work, (2) asked that they might have the honour of giving the first performance of the revised version before a London audience, and (3) that, if possible, Mendelssohn should himself conduct the said performance. Here is Mendelssohn's reply:--

[Footnote 53: This silver snuff-box, which cost nine guineas, bore upon it the following inscription:--

"Presented to Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, by the Sacred Harmonic Society, London, on the occasion of his attendance at their performance of his oratorio 'St. Paul,' at Exeter Hall, on the 12th day of September, 1837."]

TO T. BREWER, ESQ., _Hon. Sec. to the Sacred Harmonic Society_, _Exeter Hall, London_.

[_Written in English._]

"LEIPZIG, _October_ 7, 1846.

"Dear Sir,--I beg to express my best thanks for the letter dated September 24, and it gives me much pleasure that the Sacred Harmonic Society will undertake the first performance of my 'Elijah' before a London Audience. I beg to thank the Committee most sincerely for their flattering intention, and of course should be most happy to conduct the work myself on such an occasion, if I can come to London in April next. I hope and trust that I may have that pleasure, and that nothing may prevent me from doing so. But I am still doubtful, and cannot give a positive promise as far as regards my coming over; and as for the parts which you wish to have as soon as possible, I shall speak to the Editor [publisher] of them, Mr. Buxton, who, I hear, is expected shortly in Leipzig, and will ask him to let you have them as soon as they can be ready.

"With many thanks to yourself and the Society, believe me, dear Sir, your very obedient servant,

"FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY."

Before the receipt of the Sacred Harmonic Society's invitation, Mendelssohn must have begun the work of revision, as the following letter to Bartholomew (dated exactly a month after the Birmingham performance) will show:--

[_Written in English, and on a sheet of music-paper._]

"LEIPZIG, _September_ 26, 1846.

"Dear Mr. Bartholomew,--Many thanks for your new alterations which you made to meet my wishes. I decidedly prefer the _second_ version of the beginning of No. 41: 'But the Lord from the north hath raised _one_!' (this is very good), but at the last bar before the Andante I cannot approve of--

[Music] instead of [Music]

"Indeed these two long notes are _necessary_, for the development of the whole phrase, as I intended it. Now, could you not say '_call His name_,' instead of 'call upon His name?' Then the chief difficulty would be removed. And perhaps would it be possible to leave out 'of the sun,' and only say 'from the rising' (this is done very often, at least in our German Bible)? Then the second passage would also stand nearly as with the German words:--

[Music: And from the rising he shall call His Name.]

"The rest of the _Andante con moto_ suits my music now very well in the alteration, as you wrote it out, but I should prefer there the first, and in the beginning (_Andante sostenuto_) the second version. And why not? So the _Andante con moto_ might begin: 'But the Lord hath upraised one, the Lord,' etc. But if this is against your conscience, leave here also the second version. For the beginning is much more important.

"I prefer:

[Music: He shall call upon His Name, &c.]

"In No. 38 I should prefer: 'his words _appeared_ like burning torches'--I am so obstinate about the _torches_ because they account for the F minor character which I gave to that beginning more than any other word could possibly do.[54]

"As for 'the transgressor,' etc., I may possibly send another piece instead of the one which now stands, and therefore we will settle the translation hereafter.

"In No. 34 I prefer:--[Music: Behold, _God the_]

and afterwards--[Music: But _yet_ the]

and likewise--[Music: But _yet_ the]

for I should not like to place the word 'God' on so short a note, and in such a rhythm, while the word _yet_ is just as light and insignificant as will do on such a note.

"And again many thanks,

"F.M.-B."

[Footnote 54: Bartholomew had rendered the German words "und sein Wort brannte wie eine Fackel" as "his words appeared as _light in darkness_." The English Apocrypha (Ecclesiasticus xlviii., 1) has, "his word burned like a lamp." It is very difficult to fathom a composer's mind; but what _can_ be the connection between "torches" and the key of F minor? Strangely enough the source of these words (and also of No. 24) has always been wrongly given as Ecclesiast_es_, instead of Ecclesiast_icus_. This mistake has been continued for fifty years!]

The following letters from Mendelssohn to Bartholomew, all written in English, may now follow on, _seriatim_; they lead up to the period of the composer's arrival--for the last time--in England.

"LEIPZIG, 30 _December_, 1846.

"My dear Sir,--I send to-day to Mr. Buxton all the pieces which were still wanting in the first part of my 'Elijah.' Wherever I could, I took the words from the English Bible and adapted them as well as I could to the alterations, in order to save you trouble; but, nevertheless, I must ask you to look over all I have done, that no wrong accent or other blunders might remain in it. So, for instance, in the 13 bars which I have added before the chorus 'Blessed are the men,' and which are taken from Psalm cxvi. {12} and Deuteron. vi., 15 {5}, I wrote the German words under the English in case you should prefer the notation as originally composed, and choose to add a word or a syllable here and there in the English version, in order to give it the same rhythm as in German. I should wish this in the passage just quoted, particularly in the beginning of Elijah's answer, 'Du sollst den,' where the two slurred notes 'Thou [slur and quarter note symbols] shalt' are not equally good. But I could not find something else, and I also think that passages like these are best left as in the Bible. In the following chorus, No. 9, there is a curious specimen of the different _meaning_ of the German and English version: the words 'He is gracious,' &c. (or, as you had it, '_they_ are gracious'), apply, in your version, to the righteous, while in ours they apply to God, and the passage is in our version, 'the light ariseth to the righteous _from_ Him who is gracious, full of compassion,' &c., &c. Now I certainly composed it with this last meaning, and the question is whether you would think it advisable to introduce it, or not. I proposed 'He is' instead of 'they are,' because I thought it could then be understood both ways; but most probably you might hit on something much better still. Instead of 'who delight in His commands,' I preferred 'they ever walk in the ways of peace' _only_, as more expressive, and I hope you will be of my opinion. I see in the Birmingham book that you quoted the words of this chorus Psalm cvi., 3; but I took them from Psalm cxxviii., 1, and Psalm cxii., 1 and 4, although nearly the same passage occurs in Psalm cvi., 3.

"No. 15 is a piece in which I must again require your friendly assistance. From the time I first sent it away for the Birmingham performance I felt that it should not remain as it stood, with its _verses and rimes_, the only specimen of a Lutheran Chorale in this old-testamential work.[55] I _wanted_ to have the _colour_ of a Chorale, and I felt that I could not do _without it_, and yet I did not like to have _a_ Chorale. At last I took those passages from the Psalms which best apply to the situation, and composed them in about the same style and colour, and very glad I was when I found (as I looked into the English Bible) that the beginning went word by word as in German. But after the beginning my joy was soon at an end, and there it is that I must ask you to come to my assistance. The words are taken from Psalm lv., 23 {22}; Psalm cviii., 5 {4}; and Psalm xxv., 3.

"In the chorus No. 16, I added the German words 'Fallt nieder auf euer Angesicht,' in pencil, because I thought that the English translation, 'adoring,' etc., did not express the meaning entirely, nor did it render the rhythm of the German, which is still more to be felt by the bar I have added before the pause. Our 'fallt nieder' means something still more awful, I think, than to 'bow down' or 'to adore'; but query whether it can or should be given in English![56]

"You will also find the _Allegro_ of the Soprano song at the beginning of Part 2 ['Hear ye, Israel'] with the subsequent chorus. I never thought of omitting the _Allegro_ of the song, but wanted to find something (in words and music) better appropriated to make the transition from the slow movement to the _Allegro_. The Recit. which I now send is taken from Isaiah xlix., 7. Here again the English words went at first perfectly well, but afterwards they would not do at all, and (which is the most essential) their meaning differed greatly. The German means that the Lord speaks 'to the soul that is despised and _to the nation_ that is abhorred by others, and to His servant who is _oppressed by tyrants_,' and all this made me adopt the words for this Recit., and therefore I wish it to be expressed also in the English version.

"And besides all this you will find here and there little deviations from your words, where I have been forced into them by my alterations; and therefore I beg you will look over the _whole_, that nothing might be in it of which you did not approve.

"I owe you still many thanks for several very, very kind letters, and indeed would have written long ago had it not been for a sea of tedious and complicated businesses with which they overload me here. I could not avail myself of the whole of the amplification which you proposed for the Widow's part, although I adopted several of your quotations in that passage; but I was not able to give it the extent you proposed; for although I very often feel the urgent necessity of altering the _details_ (of which you now see so many instances), I can but very seldom bring myself to a deviation from the whole original plan; and I even make those alterations almost everywhere in order to keep more faithfully to the object I had first in view. And on that account I _could_ not make the whole of this passage more prominent, although I always wish to do as you advise.

"Of course 'commandments' must be left in the soprano song, instead of 'commands,' if you do not approve of the latter. Do you like my way of getting rid of 'to slay, _to_ slay my son?'[57]

"And many, many thanks for the trouble you have taken with the 'Sons of Art.' I am afraid the thing is only fit for a German musical men-festival, and that it is impossible to give it any effect in another language and at other occasions; but whatever _can_ be done with it has indeed been done by you. And so I end as I began with thanks and thanks.

"Very truly yours,

"FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY."

[Footnote 55: The words of the Quartet, as sung at Birmingham, were:--

"Regard Thy servant's prayer, While angels bow before Thee, And worlds around Thy throne In strains of praise adore Thee. O, help him in his need, Thy gracious ear accord-- Jehovah Sabaoth, Creator, God, and Lord!"

They were changed to the now familiar "Cast thy burden." The music was also altered, but its quartet-chorale form and slender accompaniment were retained.]

[Footnote 56: The original English words in No. 16 (Chorus) were:--

"Bow down, bow down! on your faces fall adoring!" They are now "Before Him, upon your faces fall." The music of this number was also much altered. The impressive phrase, "upon your faces fall," just before the Chorale, was originally:--

[Music: adoring, adoring! The Lord is God, &c.]]

[Footnote 57: Mr. Bartholomew writes "yes" on the original letter.]

"LEIPZIG, _January_ 20, 1847.

"My dear Mr. Bartholomew,--A happy new year to you (although it is rather old already), and many, many thanks for your kind and precious letter! Indeed, nobody could have written it but you, and nobody could have taken so much trouble with my choruses to the 'Athalie' but you, and to nobody could I feel so sincerely and heartily indebted but to you. Have many, many thanks, my dear Sir, and be sure that you confer all these obligations to one who knows how to value them, and who will always remain thankful to you!...

"The second part of 'Elijah' will in very short time be in Mr. Buxton's [Ewer & Co.] hands. And now, my dear Sir, let me repeat to you my heartfelt thanks for all you did again for me when they performed the 'Athalie' choruses,[58] and for your interesting report of all the proceedings before and during that performance, and for all the kindness and friendship which you always show me.

"Always very truly and sincerely yours,

"FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY."

[Footnote 58: Performed, with the original French words and Mendelssohn's music, before the Queen, and at the instigation of the Prince Consort, at Windsor Castle, on New Year's Day, 1847. This was the first performance of "Athalie" in England.]

"L[EIPZIG], _February 2nd_, 1847.

"P.S.--This letter has been detained till to-day, when I send a great parcel to Mr. Buxton.

"Now I must add a few things about the second part of 'Elijah,' which I send to-day. In the Recit. No. 33, 'Hear me speedily, O Lord,' I have altered the beginning of the words thus:--

[Music:

Herr, es wird Nacht um mich! I KINGS, xix., 9. Sei du nicht ferne! Verbirg dein, &c. PS. xxii., 12, 20. ]

"Pray alter the English words accordingly, and look that the following alterations are made in the music of that same Recitative: bar 16 (accompaniment) is to be thus:--

[Music]

Bar 22 (accompaniment) is to be thus:--

[Music]

Bar 24 the voice is to be thus:--

[Music: face must be veiled.]

and bar 27 (the last) is to be thus in the voice:--

[Music: for He draweth near.]

"Pray give your attention to all such passages of the words which I wrote _in pencil_ in the arrangement. I think they will all require a new translation, or a modification of the old one. I always added the quotations. There are also some different (and I am sure) better words in No. 21 where I could not write them in pencil, but you will easily see and I hope adopt and adapt them. It is in the slow movement, the passage of Isaiah liii., 1, 'Aber wer glaubt uns'rer Predigt?' ['Who hath believed our report?'], and in the _Allegro_, instead of 'Wake up, Jerusalem,' etc., the direct appeal to Elijah, 'Weiche nicht, denn ich bin dein Gott, ich stärke dich!' ['Be not afraid, for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee.'], Isaiah xli., 10, from which also the following chorus ['Be not afraid'] is taken.[59]

"I hope the scene with the Queen and people [No. 23] will now offer less difficulties to you, as the 'Er ist des Todes schuldig' ['He is worthy to die'] occurs but once; and you will also see that I took your hint about their seeking Elijah, &c., &c.

"In the Terzetto, No. 28 ['Lift thine eyes'], without accompaniment, there might perhaps be an occasion for altering the words, although they are exactly the same as they were in the Duet; but I do not think the beginning would do well with the English words of the _Duet_.[60]

"And I write over the Chorus 'But, saith the Lord, I have raised one,' the German word 'Schluss-Gesang'--_including this_ Chorus, the following Quartett, and the last Chorus. Could you find an English word which might be applied as well? It must not be Finale, because that reminds me of an Opera; and it must not be 'Final Chorus,' because it shall mean two Choruses and a Quartett; but I should like to have some word at the head of those three pieces, to show clearly my idea of their connection, and also as a kind of 'Epilogue' contrasted with the 'Prologue,' or 'Introduction' before the Overture.

"And excuse and pardon the trouble, and always and ever believe me,

"Yours very truly and gratefully,

"FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY."

[Footnote 59: It may be interesting to give the original English words (as sung at Birmingham) of this well-known air.

_Adagio._--"Hear ye, Israel; hear what the Lord speaketh: 'Ah! had'st thou heeded my commandments!' He to His people calleth; yet they regard not His voice, nor will they obey His call.

_Recit._--Yet to the righteous, saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel;

_Allegro._--I, I am he that comforteth, and ye are mine. Wake up, arise, Jerusalem! Say, who art thou that despairest, and forgettest the Lord thy Maker; who hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the earth's foundations? Wake up, arise, Jerusalem!"]

[Footnote 60: "Lift thine eyes" was originally written as a duet for soprano and contralto, and in this form it was sung at Birmingham by the Misses Williams. Mendelssohn, according to the late Mr. Lazarus, was very desirous that there should be no break between the trio, "Lift thine eyes," and the succeeding chorus, "He, watching over Israel." His special direction at the end of the trio, "_Attacca_, _No._ 29," shows the importance he attached to the connecting of these two numbers--the trio _and_ the chorus of angels.]

"LEIPZIG, 8th _February_, 1847.

"Dear Sir,--I receive your letter of the 2nd at the moment when I send the Orchestra parts of the 1st Part of 'Elijah' to Simrock, and the last chorus to Mr. Buxton, so I really answer by return of post.

"_Recit._ 'Now Cherith's brook,' bar 9. I do not quite like _your two_ slurs at the end; and as you do not like _my_ notation, what if we tried a third mode?

viz.:--[Music: neither shall the cruse of oil fail,]

"Now adopt which you like of the _three_. Bar 13, I prefer _yours_.

"I do not speak of bar 26 and bar 38 of No. 8, because Mr. Buxton will have informed you that I am going to send _a new song_ for the Widow, and that therefore the whole No. 8 must be postponed till then. I hope it will follow soon after this letter, and then I will not teaze you any more about this 'Elijah.' Bars 83, 95, 114, 123 as _you_ propose. Bar 151, as you like both ways, I should prefer _mine_; bar 155, _yours_. Bar 157, I do not like the two B's and two C's on the words 'render to the'; could it not be:--[Music: What shall I render to the]

or, if you object to this, it must be at least--

[Music]

but I confess that I do _not like the quavers_, if they _can_ be got rid of. The following bars, and bar 161, &c., as _you_ have them.

"No. 9, Chorus, bar 10, I cannot approve of the twice F [sharp] in the Soprano, although I quite acknowledge the truth of your observation. But I propose instead:--

[Music: Bar 10. Blessed { are the men { are they]

"If you dislike this, pray propose another mode; but the soprano _cannot_ have the two F [sharps] while the tenor also has them.

"Bar 14 as _you_ have it. Instead of your and my bar 13, I propose:--

[Music: men who fear Him.]

"Bars 18, 19, 20, &c., as _you_ have. Bar 15 also. And 44, and 45, also.

"No. 19. Recit. For the end I prefer _by far_: 'The Lord our God alone can do these things.' But in reading over these words I wonder whether the word 'Gentiles' cannot be objected to? Can one say of Baal that he is an idol of the 'Gentiles'? Indeed, Jeremiah seems to use the word in that sense, but do we not use it exclusively in another sense? If not, so much better. Pray answer to this, and excuse the hasty lines.

"Always very truly yours,

"FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY."

"LEIPZIG, 8_th_ _February_, 1847.

"My dear Sir,--I send you with these lines the last Chorus of 'Elijah.' Now I have only the song which is to come in at the beginning of No. 8 [the Widow scene], and as soon as that will be finished I will not teaze you any more about alterations and all that, for you have now the whole work in hand. But pray do not forget to postpone the engraving of No. 8 until I send you that song. All the rest may be forthwith engraved.

"While I wrote the alterations in the Chorus No. 40 {41} (in my last letter) I forgot to write that there is also one in the accompaniment of that passage. So please to correct bars 47, 48, and 49 (they are the last but two of the last page but one of that Chorus) thus:--

[Music]

"As for the story of the opera,[61] my friend Klingemann will tell you all about it, as I have written it at length to him, and I am so overloaded with Leipzig music, and with letters, and with all sorts of things, that you must excuse me if I refer you to him, and cannot repeat again what I wrote about that story.

"Always very truly yours,

"FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY.

"P.S.--I am now almost sure that I shall be able to leave here on the 6th of April, and to conduct in London my 'Elijah' on the 16th, &c. I shall then leave on the 30th (as you suggested) and go to Switzerland; and if Mr. Mitchell _must_ have me and the 'Athalie' in July, I shall come back in July; if not I will stay at Vevay the whole summer, and compose away!"

[Footnote 61: The opera of "The Tempest," which Mr. Lumley, in his opera prospectus of 1847, announced as having been "expressly composed for Her Majesty's Theatre," by Mendelssohn.]

"LEIPZIG, 17 _February_, 1847.

"My dear Sir,--I write these lines merely to thank you for yours dated February 9th, and to tell you that I agree with all the different remarks you therein make about the wording of the translation (_including_ 'commandments' instead of 'commands,' &c.). And I hope you will have received the MS. of Part II. soon after you wrote, for I sent it off on the 2nd, with the exception of the Final Chorus, which I sent a few days later. I daresay everything will now be safely in your and Mr. Buxton's hands, and now I may begin to think of something else, which indeed I have not been able to do all the time since, with this Oratorio, nearly but not entirely finished, weighing on my mind.

"Always very truly yours,

"FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY."

"LEIPZIG, _February_ 25, 1847.

"My dear Sir,--I prefer[62]--

[Music: Who hath believed our report] then: [Music: -vealed to]

"It _must_ be--

[Music: _be not afraid_, be] and _not_: [Music: be not a-]

which will not do for the quickness of the movement.

"Bar 89 is impossible as you propose, because on the _a_ [sharp symbol] and _g_ [sharp symbol], &c., _there must be no words_ pronounced; they _must_ be _slurred_ notes, as in the German wording, and moreover they must be sung on a _good_ syllable (no "u," or "o," or, &c.). So I should propose:--

[Music: 89. I, the Lord, will strengthen thee![63]]

"And at any rate pray _let the notes be slurred_, because it is essential to the whole of the song. The same also when the passage is repeated, bar 140.

"Bar 148 must be so--[Music: 148. for I thy]

"All those passages I do _not_ mention here are quite excellent in the way you propose. Add a note for the serv_ed_ him and worshipp_ed_ him. You are quite welcome to it.[64]

"You see that I really answer by return of post, for yesterday evening your letter came, and this morning this leaves. But I do not understand why there is such a _hurry_ about the _Pianoforte arrangement_ being finished, and why you say there is hardly time to wait my reply. For you know that it cannot be published a day before Simrock has also done it, and that will take much time still. However, I make haste answering, and shall also do so with your next. I do not think that I shall be able to be in London before the 13th April. But I am sure that is early enough, for I am sure everything which you take in hand is right.

"Always yours truly,

"FELIX MENDELSSOHN."

[Footnote 62: The music examples in this letter refer to the Soprano air "Hear ye, Israel," No. 21.]

[Footnote 63: Bartholomew had written:

[Music: Be not afraid, for I will strengthen thee!]]

[Footnote 64: Bartholomew did not add the note after all. See No. 23, "The Lord hath exalted thee," bar 15, to which this refers.]

"LEIPZIG, _March_ 3, 1847.

"My dear Sir,--I have just received your letter of the 24th, and hasten to reply. I like all the passages of the translation you send me with but two exceptions. In No. 30, 'that Thou would'st please destroy me' sounds so odd to me--is it scriptural? If it is, I have no objection, but if not, pray substitute something else. And then in the new No. 8 [the widow scene]--the words from Psalm vi. which you hesitated to adopt are, of course, out of the question; but I also object to the second part of the sentence which you propose to add to the words of Psalm xxxviii. {6}, viz.: 'I water my couch,' etc. [Psalm vi., 6.]--I do dislike this so very much, and it is so poetical in the German version. So if you could substitute something in which no 'watering of the couch' occurred, but which gave the idea of the tears, of the night, of all that in its purity. Pray try!

"But what is this? Does Staudigl not come? Mr. Buxton told me last autumn he was _sure_ to be there. I heard it since from all sides. And now he does not come? What is to become of my 'Elijah' then? _I cannot_ write to Staudigl and persuade him to come, but I really do not know how the performance could match that of Birmingham without him--indeed I do not know how it could go. Of course Lockey would be _quite_ sufficient for _all_ the Tenor solos! But Staudigl! That word of yours has given me a great deal to think of.

"Always very sincerely and gratefully yours,

"FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY."

"_Leipzig_, _March_ 10, 1847.

"My dear Sir,--Many thanks for your letter of the 1st. I really do not know what a synopsis of the oratorio should be good for--on the other hand, I do not see the harm it could do--and, therefore, leave it to you to decide this point as you think best. I shall send you the metronomes in a few days; the organ part I do not forget.

"But tell me, should the whole series of performances not be better postponed till _autumn_? What with your uncertainty about Staudigl, and with all this uproar in London about the two opera parties, and with Jenny Lind coming or not coming, and with the 'Tempest' or not the 'Tempest,' and with the difficulty you and Mr. Buxton have to make the parts ready--would not such a delay be beneficial to all of us, especially to the old prophet himself? Not to me certainly, who like to shake my English friends by the hand the sooner the better--but to all others?

"And now many thanks for your friendly advice in the opera affair. Some time before you wrote your letter to me, I had already informed Mr. Lumley that I should not be able to produce an opera of the 'Tempest' in the season 1847; and, according to the advice my friend Klingemann gave me some days before your letter came, I have since again written to Mr. Lumley (about the same words as you suggest), have asked Klingemann to take care of seeing the letter safely delivered, and have sent to him a duplicate of it. So that the whole of your advice, the same which my friend Kl. gave, has been followed literally, and I should be very glad if thus the affair would come to an end. Of this I think I may be sure, that Mr. Lumley will not continue his advertisements of my opera after he heard that I had taken the resolution _not to write_ the 'Tempest' for the season 1847....

"And now forgive this dry letter, and believe me, yours very truly,

"FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY."

Reading between the lines of the last-quoted letter, it is easy to see that Mendelssohn was much annoyed at the public announcements, made by Mr. Lumley in his opera prospectus of 1847, to the effect that "The celebrated Dr. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy will likewise visit England, and produce an Opera expressly composed for Her Majesty's Theatre, the Libretto, founded on 'The Tempest' of Shakespeare, written by Scribe." These advertisements were, to say the least, very premature, as Mendelssohn had not only disapproved of parts of the libretto, but had not written a note of the music! The suggestion contained in the above letter that he (Mendelssohn) should postpone his visit till the autumn, must have caused some consternation amongst his London friends, especially as all arrangements had been made for the various performances of the revised oratorio, which were to be given under his own personal direction. Bartholomew--ever resourceful and indefatigable--at once wrote the following letter to the composer:--

"2, WALCOT PLACE, HACKNEY, _March_ 19, 1847.

"My dear Sir,--Yours of the 10th came to hand last night, and in reply to it I can tell you twenty reasons why _you should come_, and not one why _you should not come_. Upon the faith of your letter, which Buxton has been obliged to quote from in order to prove his warranty to treat for your coming with the Committee at Exeter Hall, he has made the engagement for _you_ with _them_, and _they_ have made _their_ engagements with _others_ for April 16th and 23rd; and, I think, the 28th. The Manchester Hargreaves Society have fixed their date for one of the intervening days and advertised it.... _Everybody_ is now in town expecting you and anxious to _hail_ your appearance. _Nobody_ will be in town in the autumn. (Is that a reason why you should come then?) If you don't come, 'Elijah' would go--for go it must--but I mean it won't _go well_....

"You have no idea how they are inundated with enquiries at Newgate Street [Ewer & Co.'s] as to when 'Elijah' will be published.... God bless you, dear Sir!

"W. BARTHOLOMEW."

Whatever influence this letter from Bartholomew may have had upon its recipient, and doubtless others wrote in the same strain, Mendelssohn duly came to London--alas! for the last time--at the beginning of April, 1847, the year in which he died.

* * * * *

The first performance of the revised version of "Elijah"--the form in which we now know the oratorio--took place, under the auspices of the Sacred Harmonic Society, at Exeter Hall, London, on Friday, April 16, 1847, conducted by the composer. Miss Birch, Miss Dolby (afterwards Madame Sainton-Dolby), and Mr. Henry Phillips replaced Madame Caradori-Allan, Miss Hawes, and Herr Staudigl, who had "created" their respective parts at Birmingham. "Lockey would be _quite_ sufficient for _all_ the tenor solos," wrote Mendelssohn, and so he proved to be.

Madame Sainton-Dolby records: "After I had sung 'O rest in the Lord,' Mendelssohn turned to me with tears in his eyes and said, with his bright frankness of manner, 'Thank you from my heart, Miss Dolby.' I shall never forget that look of brightness." Mr. W.H. Cummings, then a chorister of the Temple Church, sang alto in the chorus at the first London performance. He and some other boys were asked to help, as the alto part lay rather high for men's voices.[65] Master Cummings, as he was then, sat in the front row of the altos, and his enthusiastic singing attracted the notice of Mendelssohn, who asked the Temple chorister his name, which he wrote on one of his (Mendelssohn's) visiting cards, and gave to the youthful singer.

[Footnote 65: The alto part in oratorio choruses was always sung in England by men's voices (counter-tenors). It was not till the following year (1848) that some ladies were admitted into the alto division of the chorus at the Sacred Harmonic Society. The change was made when Costa began his reign as Conductor of the Society. Costa introduced a similar innovation at the Birmingham Festival of 1849, the first he conducted, and the first after the production of "Elijah." The male altos, however, greatly predominated on that occasion. The numbers were--ladies, 17; gentlemen, 59. At this Festival Mario sang "Then shall the righteous," which he finished on the upper A flat!]

The first London performance was not without some humour. _The Times_ said: "Mr. Perry, the leader, was constantly beating time with his fiddle-stick in such a manner as to obstruct the views of the Conductor and confuse the attention of the instrumentalists."[66] A Frenchman, seated on the orchestra behind the chorus, was so excited with the performance that, at the close, he effusively embraced Mendelssohn and tried to kiss him!

[Footnote 66: Mr. George Perry ("leader" of the Sacred Harmonic Society from its foundation in 1832) was also the composer of an oratorio, entitled "Elijah, and the Priests of Baal," which was first performed at the Concert Room, St. George's Bridge, Norwich, on March 12, 1819.]

Three other performances were given in Exeter Hall, and under the same auspices, on the 23rd, 28th, and 30th of the same month (April), and were conducted by Mendelssohn. These four concerts attracted crowded audiences, and brought into the exchequer of the Sacred Harmonic Society a clear profit of £356.

The second performance (April 23) was honoured by the presence of the Queen and the Prince Consort. What the Prince felt on that occasion found graceful expression in the following tribute to Mendelssohn's genius, which he wrote in the book of words he had used at the concert:--

"To the Noble Artist who, surrounded by the Baal-worship of debased art, has been able, by his genius and science, to preserve faithfully, like another Elijah, the worship of true art, and once more to accustom our ear, amid the whirl of empty, frivolous sounds, to the pure tones of sympathetic feeling and legitimate harmony: to the Great Master, who makes us conscious of the unity of his conception, through the whole maze of his creation, from the soft whispering to the mighty raging of the elements.

"Inscribed in grateful remembrance by

"ALBERT.

"Buckingham Palace, April 24, 1847."

The original of this is now in the possession of Frau Wach, of Leipzig, Mendelssohn's younger daughter. In the few hours which elapsed between its receipt from the Palace and its presentation to Mendelssohn, the Sacred Harmonic Society had a _fac-simile_ copy made, which was carefully sealed up. When the news arrived of Mendelssohn's premature death, the Prince Consort at once gave permission for this copy to be lithographed and circulated.

The following extract from the 1847 Report of the Sacred Harmonic Society records the presentation of the above "compliment" to Mendelssohn:--

"Both Her Majesty and Prince Albert were graciously pleased to express their gratification at the Performance, and the attention paid to them; and the Prince a few days afterwards condescendingly inscribed in a Book of the Words of the Oratorio, an elegant compliment to Dr. Mendelssohn, in his native tongue, which was handed to him on the morning of his departure from England, by a deputation from your Committee, and received by him with marked feelings of pleasure and gratitude.

"It cannot be described how deeply gratified Mendelssohn was on the presentation to him of this affectionate token of sympathy. His rapturous exclamations of delight, as over and over again he read each word of the inscription, his repeated expression of fears of his inability adequately to acknowledge this touching mark of appreciation, were again and again renewed."[67]

[Footnote 67: "The Sacred Harmonic Society: a Thirty-five Years' Retrospect, by Robert K. Bowley, Treasurer. _Privately printed._ 1867." Mr. Bowley was one of the deputation of two officers of the Society who waited upon Mendelssohn to present him with the Prince Consort's "affectionate token of sympathy." He was one of the oldest members of the Sacred Harmonic Society, and subsequently became Librarian, and then Treasurer. In 1858 he became General Manager of the Crystal Palace, which office he retained till his death in 1870. He also originated and carried out the Handel Festivals.]

Mendelssohn also conducted performances of the revised work at Manchester (Hargreaves Choral Society) on April 20, and at Birmingham, April 27--a total of six performances, conducted by the composer, within a fortnight. At Birmingham, where "Elijah" was given for Mr. Stimpson's "benefit," Mendelssohn not only refused to take any fee, but also declined to accept his travelling expenses--thus he generously showed his appreciation of Stimpson's invaluable services at the initial performance in 1846.

"Elijah" was published in Germany by Simrock, Bonn; and in England by Messrs. Ewer & Co., who for some years previously had been Mendelssohn's sole publishers in this country. The then proprietor of the firm of Ewer & Co. was Mr. Edward Buxton, whose real business was that of a wool-broker, and who "had only taken to music publishing for his attachment to the art." The relations between the composer and his English publisher were of the most cordial nature. "Whatever you write, Dr. Mendelssohn," said Mr. Buxton, "I will publish, and pay you any terms you like to ask." Here was an ideal publisher, from a composer's point of view. Mr. Buxton had no reason to regret his words; and that Mendelssohn fully appreciated his publisher's generous offer, is abundantly shown in the "terms" he mentioned for the English copyrights of his compositions.[68]

[Footnote 68: It may be of interest to give the "terms" quoted by Mendelssohn for the English copyrights of some of his works. The information is derived from original letters from the composer to Buxton. The D minor Trio, 10 guineas. Books 4 and 5 of the "Lieder ohne Worte," 15 guineas each; Book 6, 24 guineas. "17 Variations Sérieuses," 8 guineas. "Festgesang" (which includes the familiar tune now associated with "Hark! the herald angels sing"), 4 guineas. "Scotch Symphony" (pianoforte arrangement), £20. Sonata for pianoforte and cello in D, 12 guineas. Six four-part Songs, Op. 59 (which includes "O hills! O vales!" the "Hunting Song," &c.), 10 guineas. "Scherzo, Notturno, and Wedding March" (from "Midsummer Night's Dream"), pianoforte duet arrangement, 15 guineas; the whole work, "consisting of 9 other pieces (except the Overture) would be the same again as those 3." Violin Concerto and "Hear my prayer," "20 guineas for both together." C minor Trio and Te Deum in A, £30.

In these letters from Mendelssohn to Buxton there are such apologetic phrases, in regard to the prices named by the composer, as, "which I hope will be convenient to you," and "I hope it will not be inconvenient to you, which I beg you will tell me sincerely." Mendelssohn also thanks Mr. Buxton for his "very good and kind intentions" towards him. In sending the MS. of "The Garland" (words by Thomas Moore), he says, "which you may publish _if_ you like, and pay for it _whatever_ you like."]

Mendelssohn cannot be accused of being "hard" or "grasping" in negotiating with his publisher. The following letter shows the spirit in which he made his proposals for the publication of "Elijah" in England. It is written (in English) to Buxton, and dated "April 22, 1846":--

"I must beg you to tell me the price which you could give for the copyright of such a work. _I do not_ fix the price, because I wish on such an occasion that neither you nor I should be the loser; you must know the sale of such works, and may thereby form an opinion. Indeed, _I_ should not be able to name any sum for myself, and make conditions which would appear unpleasant to you; but as on the other hand I have been asked from England by different persons for the copyright of such a work, I must think that it may also have value for the publisher there, and you may easily form an opinion of this: therefore I beg you will let me know your answer as soon as you can."

Mendelssohn wrote to Moscheles for his advice on the subject of the "terms" for the English copyright of "Elijah." Here is Moscheles's reply:--

"I quite feel the responsibility of advising you in the matter; for if fifty years hence it is said, 'Mendelssohn received only so many pounds sterling for this grandest of works, this inexhaustible mine of wealth to the editor [publisher], and that at the suggestion of Moscheles,' my ashes will be disturbed in their rest. Well, well, you will nod your venerable head, and say, 'Never mind; Moscheles meant well.'

"You do not say what other offers you had, besides that from Buxton. I think you will find him straightforward in his dealings, and ready to recognise that the market value of your productions is constantly increasing. So I should say you might ask £50 more than you did for the 'Hymn of Praise.' [Moscheles had probably forgotten the amount, £25, that Mendelssohn received for the English copyright of his 'Hymn of Praise.'] One point to take into consideration is whether this work is richer than the other in solos, these being a better source of income to the publisher than choruses."[69]

[Footnote 69: "Letters of Mendelssohn to Moscheles," by Felix Moscheles, p. 272.]

Mendelssohn received 250 guineas for the English copyright of "Elijah." Shortly after the composer's death, Mr. Buxton voluntarily sent to Frau Mendelssohn an additional sum of £100 for "Elijah," which she gracefully acknowledged in the following extract:--

"I hesitated a moment whether I ought to accept the £100 which you sent me; but then I remembered the great pleasure it had given my husband when Mr. Simrock sent him an additional sum for his 'St. Paul,' on account of the success the oratorio had had. Why should I not feel a similar pleasure in hearing that his last work is being so fully appreciated in England? I thank you therefore that you think of us by sending this money as a proof of the success of 'Elijah.'

"Berlin (Spring, 1849)."

The work was published in June, 1847, as Op. 70. The lowest price of the first English edition--"Pianoforte score, with portrait on steel of the composer"--was thirty-six shillings! An octavo edition did not appear till five years later (1852): price ten shillings. A tonic sol-fa edition, published "by subscription" ("not less than 250 subscribers"), was issued in 1866.

The prosperity of "Elijah" was at once assured. The work bore upon it the imprint of success. It immediately shot into the front rank of popularity, a position which it has steadily maintained even unto this day.

The story has now been told. Six months after the strains of "Elijah" had died away in Exeter Hall, the genius-brain that had conceived that noble work was for ever calmed in death.

(Mendelssohn died at Leipzig, November 4, 1847, in his thirty-ninth year.)

A memorable performance of "Elijah" was given by Jenny Lind in Exeter Hall, December 15, 1848, in aid of the Mendelssohn Scholarship Fund. This performance, which Mr. Otto Goldschmidt happily terms the "corner-stone of the Fund," was a triumphant success.

* * * * *

No more fitting conclusion to this "History" could be found than the words of Jenny Lind, who, in writing to the composer's widow on her irreparable loss, said: "His 'Elijah' is sublime! In my opinion he never wrote anything finer; and assuredly could not have written anything loftier in the future! With what solemnity we all stood there (to perform it); and with what love do the people still speak of him!"

To this tribute of reverence from one great artist to the memory of another, I venture to subscribe a fervent "AMEN."

INDEX.

Aix-la-Chapelle, 42

"As the hart pants", 9 _note_

"Athalie", 40, 48 _et seq._, 109 _et seq._, 116

"Auld Robin Gray", 67 _et seq._

Ayrton, Wm., 92

Baal choruses, 52, 83, 100

Bach, J.S., 21

Bache family, The, 88 _et seq._

Barrett, W.A., 93

Barry, Rev. J., 7 _et seq._

Bartholomew, W. (and letters to), 41, 48 _et seq._, 81, 97 _et seq._

Bassano, Miss, 82

Beethoven, 42 _note_

"Behold, God the Lord", 63, 104

Benecke, Mrs., 95

Benedict, 45, 82

Birch, Miss, 123

Birmingham Musical Festivals, 6, 19, 22, 28 _et seq._

_Birmingham Journal_, 80

"Blessed are the men", 57, 99, 105, 114

Bowley, R.K., 128 _note_

Bragg, Mr. John, 46

Braham, John, 45

Brewer, T., 100

Buxton, E. (see also Ewer & Co.), 51, 53, 67, 98, 102, 110, 129 _et seq._

Caradori-Allan, Madame, 45, 82, 87, 123

"Cast thy burden", 83, 96, 99, 106

Chorley, H.F., 84

Cologne Festival, 42

Cooke, Grattan, 78

Cooke, Tom, 45

Costa, 124 _note_

Cummings, Mr. W.H., 123

Dando, J.H.B., 45

Davison, J.W., 79 _note_, 80

Deakin, Mr. Andrew, 90 _note_

Devrient, E., 2, 41

Dolby, Madame Sainton, 34, 123

Düsseldorf, 1, 9

Ewer & Co. (see also Buxton), 98, 123, 129 _et seq._

Exeter Hall, 122 _et seq._, 132

"Festgesang", 129 _note_

"For the mountains", 69, 74, 79, 83

Four-part songs, 130 _note_

Frankfort, 1, 5, 33

Frege, Frau, 86

"Garland," The, 130 _note_

Gauntlett, Dr., 45, 82

Goodwin and Tabb, Messrs., 93

Grisi, 45

Grove, Sir George, 2 _note_, 42 _note_, 99

Guildhall Library, 69 _note_

Härtel, Dr., 35

Handel, and Handel Festivals, 25, 44, 89, 93, 128 _note_

"Hark! the herald angels sing", 129 _note_

Hauser, 40

Hawes, Miss M.B., 71 _note_, 82, 88, 123

"Hear my prayer", 48, 130 _note_

"Hear ye, Israel", 36, 99, 107, 111, 117

Hensel, Fanny, 41

"He, watching over Israel", 78, 83

Hiller, F., 27

Hobbs, J.W., 77, 82

Hopkins, Dr. E.J., 79

"Hymn of Praise", 28, 131

"If with all your hearts", 55, 84

"Irish echoes", 71

"It is enough", 100

Jeanrenaud, Mdlle. Cécile, 1

"Judas Maccabæus", 4

Klingemann, Carl (and letters to), 2 _et seq._, 5 _et seq._, 11, 19, 42, 62, 68, 74, 76, 97, 121

Lablache, 45

"Lauda Sion", 42, 48

Lazarus, H., 78, 112 _note_

Ledsam, J.F., 93

"Lieder ohne Worte", 129 _note_

Liège, 42

"Lift thine eyes", 82, 85, 99, 112

Lind, Jenny, 35, 37 _et seq._, 40, 84, 88, 120, 133

Liverpool Musical Festival, 2 _note_

Lockey, Mr. Charles, 77, 82, 83, 86 _note_, 93, 120, 123

Lower Rhine Musical Festivals, 1, 42

Lumley, Mr., 116 _note_, 121

Machin, 82

Manchester (Hargreaves Society), 122, 128

Mario, 45, 124 _note_

Martineau, Mr. Russell, 88, 90

Mellon, Alfred, 90

Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Paul, 85

"Messiah", 89

"Midsummer Night's Dream", 37, 80 _note_, 81, 129 _note_

Mitchell, Mr., 116 _note_

Moore, Joseph (and letters to), 29 _et seq._, 44, 49, 85, 91

Moscheles (and letters to), 19, 39, 40, 43, 45, 76, 81, 131

Mounsey, Miss, 71 _note_

Mounsey-Bartholomew, Mrs., 67, 69 _note_

Novello, Ewer & Co., Messrs., 78

Oberhofer, 42

"O come, every one", 72, 83, 90

"Oedipus at Colonos", 31, 49

"Og of Bashan!", 3, 4

"O rest in the Lord" 65 _et seq._, 72, 74, 76, 83, 90

Organ (and Organ Sonatas), 32, 44

Overture ("Elijah"), 61, 62, 72, 76

Perry, George, 124

Philharmonic Society, 43, 82

Phillips, Henry, 52, 82, 123

Pischek, 37, 42

Prince Consort, The, 110 _note_, 127

Psalm 42 (Mendelssohn's), 9 _note_

Queen, The, 93 _note_, 110 _note_, 127

"Rachel in Ramah", 31 _note_

Ramsgate, 95

Recit. in the style of Handel, 94

Rockstro, W.S., 77

Royal College of Music, 49 _note_

Sacred Harmonic Society, 100 _et seq._, 122 _et seq._

"St. Paul", 1 _et seq._, 6, 10, 14, 15, 26, 28, 44, 101 _note_, 132

"St. Peter", 3, 4

"Saul", 4, 25

Schelble, 1

Schubring, Pastor (and letters to), 10 _et seq._, 26

Schumann and Madame Schumann, 35

"Scotch Symphony", 37, 128 _note_

Scribe, 122

Simrock, 119, 127, 133

Smart, Sir George, 2 _note_

"Son and Stranger", 2 _note_

Sonata, Pianoforte and Cello, in D, 130 _note_

"Sons of Art", 43, 109

Staudigl, 42, 45, 52, 82 _et seq._, 119 _et seq._

Stimpson, J., 46, 82 _et seq._, 129

"Tempest," Opera of the, 116 _note_, 120 _et seq._

Terms for copyrights, 129 _et seq._

"Thanks be to God", 46, 83, 86

"Then shall the righteous", 86, 124 _note_

"There is nothing", 78

"Torches", 103

Trios (D minor and C minor), 127, 130 _notes_

"Variations Sérieuses", 129 _note_

Wach, Frau Geheimrath, 50 _note_, 127

"Walpurgis Night", 15 _note_, 20, 36, 48

Webb, Rev. John, 31, 92, 93 _note_

"Widow scene", 56, 89, 97, 99, 108, 114, 115, 119

Williams, the Misses, 82, 112 _note_

Willy, J.T., 45

"Zadok the priest", 93

_Fac-simile of a letter written by Mendelssohn to William Bartholomew, the English translator of "Elijah," in whose handwriting are the annotations on the letter. Re-produced, full size, from the original in the possession of F.G. Edwards._