Elijah, Op. 70

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MENDELSSOHN
Elijah, Op. 70
Willard White, Rosalind Plowright, Linda Finnie & Arthur Davies / London Symphony Orchestra, Richard Hickox

[ Chandos 241 / 2 CD ]

Release Date: Sunday 10 August 2014

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'Never was there a more complete triumph', wrote The Times after the premiere of Mendelssohn's Elijah. The performance, conducted by the composer at the 1846 Birmingham Music Festival, marked the beginning of the life of Elijah as one of the best-loved choral works in the repertoire, a status it still holds.

A grand oratorio in two parts, Elijah is very much composed in the spirit of Mendelssohn's baroque predecessors, combining the dramatic sweep of Handel with episodes of sublime meditation such as are found in Bach. It tells the story of the stern Old Testament prophet Elijah who preached against the idol worship of the Israelite people. Mendelssohn adapted the Biblical texts to produce intensely dramatic scenes depicting, for example, the resurrection of a dead youth, a contest of the gods, and Elijah's ascension into heaven on a fiery chariot. This recording, made in April 1989, presents an all-star cast with Willard White in the title role and Rosalind Plowright, Linda Finnie, Arthur Davies, and Jeremy Budd singing the various supporting parts. Conducting the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus is the late Richard Hickox, a musician who built an immense reputation for his masterful performances of choral music during his career. This release is a part of the ongoing Richard Hickox Legacy series.

"A full-blooded account with a particularly stirring contribution from the LSO Chorus. White's commanding presence as Elijah is slightly marred by some passages with wobbly vibrato." BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2014 ****

"a performance that both pays tribute to the English choral tradition in this work and presents it dramatically as a kind of religious opera. Willard White may not be ideally steady in his delivery, sometimes attacking notes from below, but he sings consistently with fervour...The chorus fearlessly underlines the high contrasts of dynamic demanded in the score." Penguin Guide

"As Elijah, Willard White is magisterial, dark, authoritative but also warm and nuanced. 'Lord God of Abraham' is noble and beautiful. 'Is not His word like a fire' is one of the dramatic high-spots and White is magnificent." (MusicWeb Jan 2015)