This edition was prepared by James R. Jennings — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Elias (Elijah), Op. 70
Staff Notation • Sacred, Oratorios
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37 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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Elias (Elijah), Op. 70 by Felix Mendelssohn — Lyrics
Introduction
Elijah
As God the Lord of Israel liveth, before whom I stand: There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
Overture
Part one
1.
The People
Help, Lord! Wilt Thou quite destroy us? The harvest now is over, the summer days are gone, and yet no power cometh to help us! Will then the Lord be no more God in Zion? The deeps afford no water, and the rivers are exhausted. The suckling’s tongue now cleaveth for thirst to his mouth. The infant children ask for bread, and there is no one breaketh it to feed them
2.
The People
Lord, bow Thine ear to our prayer . . .
Two Women
Zion spreadeth her hands for aid, and there is neither help nor comfort.
3.
Obadiah
Ye people, rend your hearts and not your garments. For your transgressions, the prophet Elijah hath sealed the heavens through the word of God. I therefore say to ye: forsake your idols, return to God; for He is slow to anger, and merciful, and kind, and gracious, and repenteth Him of the evil.
4.
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About Elias (Elijah), Op. 70
Felix Mendelssohn's oratorio Elias, Op. 70, opens with a powerful evocation of drought and despair. The music immediately plunges into the prophet's dramatic pronouncement: "As God the Lord of Israel liveth, before whom I stand: There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." This is followed by the Overture, setting the stage for Part One. Here, the chorus depicts the desperate plight of a starving people crying, "Help, Lord! Wilt Thou quite destroy us?" The text contrasts their pleas with the lament of "Zion spreadeth her hands for aid," painting a vivid picture of a land and its inhabitants in dire need. The oratorio, drawing on the Old Testament prophet, is presented here in English and German.
