The History of Mendelssohn's Oratorio "Elijah" Part 12

"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 pa.s.sage 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 pa.s.sages 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 G.o.d, and the pa.s.sage is in our version, 'the light ariseth to the righteous _from_ Him who is gracious, full of compa.s.sion,' &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 pa.s.sage occurs in Psalm cvi., 3.

"No. 15 is a piece in which I must again require your friendly a.s.sistance. 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 pa.s.sages 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 a.s.sistance. 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 pa.s.sage; 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 pa.s.sage 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, G.o.d, 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 G.o.d, &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, n.o.body could have written it but you, and n.o.body could have taken so much trouble with my choruses to the 'Athalie' but you, and to n.o.body 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 pa.s.sages 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 pa.s.sage 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 starke dich!' ['Be not afraid, for I am thy G.o.d, 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."