Paulus, Mendelssohn's two-hour oratorio, is rarely performed today, but during his lifetime it was his most popular work. Elijah is a richer and more musically mature work, and it has a more inherently dramatic story, so it's not surprising that it has eclipsed Paulus' popularity. Paulus demonstrates Mendelssohn admiration for the Passions of Bach and the oratorios of Handel, and also his indebtedness to the conventions of those pieces, particularly in the recitatives and in the contrapuntal rigor of some of the choruses. ...
Read More
Paulus, Mendelssohn's two-hour oratorio, is rarely performed today, but during his lifetime it was his most popular work. Elijah is a richer and more musically mature work, and it has a more inherently dramatic story, so it's not surprising that it has eclipsed Paulus' popularity. Paulus demonstrates Mendelssohn admiration for the Passions of Bach and the oratorios of Handel, and also his indebtedness to the conventions of those pieces, particularly in the recitatives and in the contrapuntal rigor of some of the choruses. The first half, which deals with Paul's conversion, is the more dramatic; the composer's decision to use a four-part women's choir to voice the words of Jesus was controversial, but is highly effective. The second half deals with Paul's ministry in generalities, omitting the dramatic narratives from the book of Acts that could have made it truly compelling. While Mendelssohn's writing only sporadically rises to the highest level of inspiration, the oratorio is never less than lovely,...
Read Less
