Op. 70. 'Elijah'

Title

Op. 70. 'Elijah'

Shelfmark

MS. M. Deneke Mendelssohn c. 39

Summary

Sheets of the vocal score of Elijah, sent at different times between Sep 1846 and Feb 1847 by F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy to William Bartholomew for the preparation of the English edition. The piano part and some of the vocal parts are in F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy's hand: in some cases he wrote the German words, very often in pencil. Above them Bartholomew wrote his English translation, altering note-values if necessary. Occasionally (e.g., pp. 37a-40) F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy wrote the English words. The engraver worked from this copy, together with a score of the chorus parts copied by Bartholomew after the first performance, 1846, revised by F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy (see Green Book XXIV 211; and references here on pp. 61, 68, 89, 122). Rejected versions survive on pp. 27-32, 37a, 40, 69-70, 85, 88-9, 111a-b, 113b, and 125a. Bartholomew completed his work and sent all to the engraver on 26 Feb 1847.

Date

c 1846-1847

Language

English

German

Physical facet

iv + 172 pages. Binding: dark red morocco with gold tooling for the Bartholomews. F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy worked in black ink, pencil, and occasionally in red crayon; Bartholomew mostly in red ink or pencil; the engravers, supervised by J. Peck (see p. 111b), marked off the copy in red crayon or in pencil.

Physical extent

176 pages

Acquisition

Given by Bartholomew's widow, Mrs Ann S. Bartholomew, to the Sacred Harmonic Society, London, when she had removed the aria 'O rest in the Lord', which she gave to the Guildhall Library; it subsequently disappeared. In 1882, when the Harmonic Society ceased to exist, the manuscript was returned to Mrs Bartholomew. Her sister, Elizabeth Mounsey, gave it to Marie Benecke 4 Oct 1893: see MS. M. Deneke Mendelssohn c. 51. Bequeathed by Helena Deneke, 1973.