Mendelssohn: Elias

Mendelssohn's Elijah is a work that definitely stands among the ranks of phenomenal oratorios. This is a tremendous performance where the chorus and conductor seem to have achieved an ideal rapport with the Israel Philharmonic. This recording presents a wonderfully fresh, dramatic exposition of an old favorite that makes it sound new-minted. It's lithe, lean and classically mean. It propels itself along at quite a lick - sometimes considerably faster than Mendelssohn's often surprisingly slow metronome marks. Pauses between movements are kept to a bare minimum, so that the momentum is not lost…Masur's generally speedy traversal is however not an unmixed blessing.

"Never was there a more complete triumph - never a more thorough and speedy recognition of a great work of art." This was the response of the critic in the London Times to the wildly successful premiere of Felix Mendelssohn's Elias in 1846. Hans-Christoph Rademann began his tenure as Principal Conductor of the RIAS Chamber Choir with this groundbreaking oratorio. After eight productive and successful years, his final concert in July 2015 also featured the work.

The MDR Leipzig Radio Choir and its artistic director Philipp Ahmann present a collection of Felix Mendelssohn’s choral music, which arguably represents the pinnacle of German nineteenth-century religious music. Ranging across psalm settings, motets, Latin verses, the Deutsche Liturgie as well as the ethereal chorus Denn er hat seinen Engeln befohlen, which was later adapted and incorporated into his oratorio Elijah, the album highlights the unique stylistic range and expressive power of Mendelssohn’s choral output.

A limited-edition 55-CD set of legendary and critically acclaimed recordings celebrating the famous PHILIPS heritage. An alliance of great artistry and superb sound. Classic-status albums spanning over half a century of recording and showcasing a wealth of international talent.
An unrivaled collection that that embraces all musical genres - from solo piano and chamber music through to large scale choral works and opera.

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s oratorio Elias Op. 70 was premiered in 1846 at the Birmingham Festival. It depicts the life of the prophet Elijah, taken from the books 1 and 2 Kings of the Old Testament. While it was composed in the spirit of Mendelssohn’s Baroque predecessors Bach and Handel, its lyricism and use of orchestral and choral color clearly reflects Mendelssohn’s own genius as an early Romantic composer. Paulus Op. 36, written a decade earlier, was a popular work during Mendelssohn’s lifetime, but failed to maintain its stature in comparison to his other oratorios and the oratorios of Handel and Bach.

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy - Elias
Christine Schäfer / Bach-Collegium Stuttgart / Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart / Helmuth Rilling
2xCD | EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 507 MB | Full Artwork: 316 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: hänssler classic # CD 98.928 | Country/Year: Germany 1994
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Vocal, Sacred, Oratory

"Helmuth Rilling realisiert die stilistische Spannweite der Chöre vom nazarenischen a cappella über impressionistische Koloristik, einem fast Brahms'schen Sentiment, bis zur dramatischen Wucht vollkommen."~FonoForum

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Elias: Oratorio on words of the Old Testament op. 70
Das Neue Orchester / Chorus Musicus Köln / Christoph Spering
2xCD | EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 556 MB | Full Artwork: 203 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: MDG "Live" # 602 1656-2 | Country/Year: Germany 2010
Genre: Classical | Style: Oratorio, Sacred, Romantic

…And, in fact, Elias has rarely been performed with greater respect for the original than it is here under the conductor Christoph Spering, who has recorded this “sacred opera” with his New Orchestra and the Chorus Musicus Köln in Essen’s Philharmonic Hall with the composer’s “dramatic ideal” fully in mind and heart. (…) The result was in fact an oratorio in opera form and a wealth of dramaturgical elements that absolutely enthralled the public. Fresh Interpretation Just as the composer would have wanted it, Christoph Spering has selected a full chorus and a magnificently dimensioned orchestra for this recording. The New Orchestra performs on historical instruments and in the two years since its founding has gained renown as an outstanding interpreter of the music of the romantic era. (…) Brisk tempos, sharp delineation, powerful expression, and interpretive freshness are the hallmarks of this new discovery for the MDG Live label.

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Elias: Oratorio on words of the Old Testament op. 70
Das Neue Orchester / Chorus Musicus Köln / Christoph Spering
2xCD | EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 556 MB | Full Artwork: 203 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: MDG "Live" # 602 1656-2 | Country/Year: Germany 2010
Genre: Classical | Style: Oratorio, Sacred, Romantic

…And, in fact, Elias has rarely been performed with greater respect for the original than it is here under the conductor Christoph Spering, who has recorded this “sacred opera” with his New Orchestra and the Chorus Musicus Köln in Essen’s Philharmonic Hall with the composer’s “dramatic ideal” fully in mind and heart. (…) The result was in fact an oratorio in opera form and a wealth of dramaturgical elements that absolutely enthralled the public. Fresh Interpretation Just as the composer would have wanted it, Christoph Spering has selected a full chorus and a magnificently dimensioned orchestra for this recording. The New Orchestra performs on historical instruments and in the two years since its founding has gained renown as an outstanding interpreter of the music of the romantic era. (…) Brisk tempos, sharp delineation, powerful expression, and interpretive freshness are the hallmarks of this new discovery for the MDG Live label.