St. Paul (in German Paulus), Op. 36, is an
oratorio by
Felix Mendelssohn. The composer oversaw versions and performances in both German and English within months of completing the music in early 1836.
Background
The
libretto "after words of holy scripture" was begun in 1832. The composer with pastor
Julius Schubring, a childhood friend, compiled passages from the
New Testament, chiefly the
Acts of the Apostles, and the
Old, as well as the texts of
chorales and hymns, in a polyglot manner after Bach's model. Composition of the music started in 1834 and was complete in early 1836.
Performances
The work was premiered on 22 May 1836 (having been completed in April of that year[1]) at the
Lower Rhenish Music Festival in
Düsseldorf. The English premiere was in
Liverpool on 3 October 1836 in a translation by Mendelssohn's friend, Karl Klingermann. Contralto
Mary Shaw was one of the soloists at the English premiere. The first performance in the
United States was in Boston on March 14, 1837. Mendelssohn himself conducted the first performance in Leipzig in the
Paulinerkirche on 16 March 1837.[2] Numerous performances followed in
Europe and in the United States.
During Mendelssohn's lifetime, St. Paul was a popular and frequently performed work. Today it is regularly performed in Germany and well disseminated in both of its original languages through an array of complete recordings.
Instrumentation
solo voice: soprano, alto, tenor, 2 basses (SATBB)
mixed (SATB) and either children's or women's
choruses
Agnes Giebel, Mariko Sasaki, Shogo Miyahara, Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Tokyo, Ensemble Claudio and the Symphonia Musica Poetica conducted by Yumiko Tanno — live in
Tokyo in 1993 — ALM Records ALCD 1098-99
Susan Roberts, Ruby Philogene, Glenn Siebert, Mark Beesley, the Royal Scottish National Chorus and the
Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by
Leon Botstein — 1997 — Arabesque Z-6705
Saint Paul] (in English) — Natalie Griffin Mitchell, Susan Fleming, Scot Cameron, David Robinson, Briarwood Chancel Choir and the Alabama Philharmonic conducted by Clay Campbell — May 16–18, 2005 — Resmiranda
Sabine Goetz, Dorothée Zimmermann,
Markus Brutscher,
Klaus Mertens, Kantorei der Schlosskirche Weilburg and the Capella Weilburgensis conducted by Doris Hagel — September 18–22, 2008 —
Hänssler Classic
St. Paul (in German Paulus), Op. 36, is an
oratorio by
Felix Mendelssohn. The composer oversaw versions and performances in both German and English within months of completing the music in early 1836.
Background
The
libretto "after words of holy scripture" was begun in 1832. The composer with pastor
Julius Schubring, a childhood friend, compiled passages from the
New Testament, chiefly the
Acts of the Apostles, and the
Old, as well as the texts of
chorales and hymns, in a polyglot manner after Bach's model. Composition of the music started in 1834 and was complete in early 1836.
Performances
The work was premiered on 22 May 1836 (having been completed in April of that year[1]) at the
Lower Rhenish Music Festival in
Düsseldorf. The English premiere was in
Liverpool on 3 October 1836 in a translation by Mendelssohn's friend, Karl Klingermann. Contralto
Mary Shaw was one of the soloists at the English premiere. The first performance in the
United States was in Boston on March 14, 1837. Mendelssohn himself conducted the first performance in Leipzig in the
Paulinerkirche on 16 March 1837.[2] Numerous performances followed in
Europe and in the United States.
During Mendelssohn's lifetime, St. Paul was a popular and frequently performed work. Today it is regularly performed in Germany and well disseminated in both of its original languages through an array of complete recordings.
Instrumentation
solo voice: soprano, alto, tenor, 2 basses (SATBB)
mixed (SATB) and either children's or women's
choruses
Agnes Giebel, Mariko Sasaki, Shogo Miyahara, Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Tokyo, Ensemble Claudio and the Symphonia Musica Poetica conducted by Yumiko Tanno — live in
Tokyo in 1993 — ALM Records ALCD 1098-99
Susan Roberts, Ruby Philogene, Glenn Siebert, Mark Beesley, the Royal Scottish National Chorus and the
Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by
Leon Botstein — 1997 — Arabesque Z-6705
Saint Paul] (in English) — Natalie Griffin Mitchell, Susan Fleming, Scot Cameron, David Robinson, Briarwood Chancel Choir and the Alabama Philharmonic conducted by Clay Campbell — May 16–18, 2005 — Resmiranda
Sabine Goetz, Dorothée Zimmermann,
Markus Brutscher,
Klaus Mertens, Kantorei der Schlosskirche Weilburg and the Capella Weilburgensis conducted by Doris Hagel — September 18–22, 2008 —
Hänssler Classic