voice, ... and in
that still, small voice onward came the Lord;" and onward sings the
chorus in low, sweet, ravishing tones to the end: "The Seraphim above Him
cried one to the other, Holy, holy, holy, is God the Lord!"--a double
chorus of majestic proportions. Once more Elijah goes on his way, no
longer dejected, but clothed with "the strength of the Lord." His aria,
"For the Mountains shall depart," prepares us for the final climax. In
strong accents the chorus announce, "Then did Elijah the prophet break
forth like a fire;" his words were like "burning torches;" he overthrew
kings; he stood on Sinai and heard the vengeance of the future on Horeb.
Then comes a significant pause. The basses begin, "And when the Lord
would take him away;" another brief pause, and the full chorus pictures
in vivid color the coming of the fiery chariot and the whirlwind by which
he was caught up into heaven. The picturesqueness and dramatic intensity
of this splendid chorus can hardly be described in words. One more tenor
aria ("Then, then shall the Righteous shine") and a brief soprano solo
introduce the chorus, "Behold My servant." A beautiful quartet ("Oh!
come, every one that thirsteth") follows, and the massive fugue, "And
then shall your Light break forth as the Light of the Morning," closes
this great masterpiece.

[6] Mr. Lockey was the tenor on this occasion; the part of Elijah was
sung by Standigl.

Christus.

"Christus," which Mendelssohn intended as the third in the series with
"Elijah" and "St. Paul," was left unfinished. The words were written by
the Chevalier Bunsen and given to the composer in 1844, before he began
"Elijah." With his customary fastidiousness, he altered and rearranged
the text, and it was not until 1847, after "Elijah" was finished, that he
touched the music. At this time he was in delicate health, and had not
recovered from the shock of his sister's death. He sought consolation for
his troubles and relief for his ailments among the mountains of
Switzerland. Part of his time was devoted to mountain-rambling, and the
remainder to work upon "Christus" and the opera "Loreley," neither of
which he lived to finish.

It is interesting to note in this connection that before Mendelssohn
settled upon "Christus," the subject of Saint Peter occupied his
attention, although he still had the former in view for later
consideration. In a letter to his friend Schubring, writte