BaL 28.01.12 Mendelssohn's Elijah

[mikealdren]

I think Elijah is possibly more fun to perform than to listen to, as so often with Oratorios,

I always thought that must be the case too, however I've now performed it and I still find it very boring. I find his 5th symphony similarly uninteresting despite having now performed it.

Mike

[Nick Armstrong]

I always thought that must be the case too, however I've now performed it and I still find it very boring. I find his 5th symphony similarly uninteresting despite having now performed it.

Mike

I fear we are of very like mind, Mr A. I love the Scottish, the Italian... but the Reformation: oh dear oh dear

[Rolmill]

I always thought that must be the case too, however I've now performed it and I still find it very boring. I find his 5th symphony similarly uninteresting despite having now performed it.

Mike

Ah OK, I've never performed it so was merely surmising! To be fair, although I very rarely feel tempted to listen to it on CD, I think Elijah can work well live so long as you have a good title-role soloist and an excellent chorus. Tend to agree with you and Caliban re the dullness of the Reformation symphony, though...

What's Paulus like?

[VodkaDilc]

Ah OK, I've never performed it so was merely surmising! To be fair, although I very rarely feel tempted to listen to it on CD, I think Elijah can work well live so long as you have a good title-role soloist and an excellent chorus. Tend to agree with you and Caliban re the dullness of the Reformation symphony, though...

What's Paulus like?

"Stone him to death" is a hoot!

[Nick Armstrong]

"Stone him to death" is a hoot!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_hlMK7tCks

[VodkaDilc]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_hlMK7tCks

Mendelssohn's even funnier than that (unintentionally, I'm sure.)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The annoying thing about the English version is "Call him louder" which is simply bad grammar, "louder" being a comparative adjective and "call" being a verb. Elijah should have known better and said, "Call him more loudly".

[MrGongGong]

The annoying thing about the English version is "Call him louder" which is simply bad grammar, "louder" being a comparative adjective and "call" being a verb. Elijah should have known better and said, "Call him more loudly".

That's not what I remember finding annoying about the piece

[VodkaDilc]

The annoying thing about the English version is "Call him louder" which is simply bad grammar, "louder" being a comparative adjective and "call" being a verb. Elijah should have known better and said, "Call him more loudly".

But it's the bad grammar which is half the fun in The Creation (in English, as it should be!)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Er, how did we get on to The Creation?

[Barbirollians]

I have Burgos and Baker and that fine performance is enough for me .

[VodkaDilc]

Er, how did we get on to The Creation?

Bad grammar as in "Call him more loudly".

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yes, but that's in Elijah.

[VodkaDilc]

I was pointing out that it's a small point in Elijah - tiny in comparison with the hugely ungrammatical English which is part of the charm of The Creation.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I see. Thank you.