Mendelssohn: Elijah

At the time of its first performances in 1846, Elijah was hailed as one of the great oratorios, alongside Handel’s Messiah. It tells the story of the prophet with imposing grandeur, inspirational orchestration and beautiful arias, recitatives and choruses. This mighty piece requires mighty orchestral and choir forces and Gabrieli singers are reinforced with talented young singers from the Gabrieli Young Singers’ Scheme and the Wrocław Philharmonic Choir. This recording sees over 440 musicians taking part, including 92 string players and over 300 singers.

This new recording was made following an acclaimed performance at the 2011 BBC Proms.

SIGCD300  135 minutes 32 seconds (2 discs)
BBC Music Magazine
'In the nineteenth century, Mendelssohn's oratorio became a central work for British choral societies, and, unlike Handel's Messiah, Elijah continues to flourish as a large-scale work, often weighted ...
'This recording of Mendelssohn’s epic Old Testament oratorio was made in the wake of last year’s acclaimed performance at the BBC Proms … Elijah is a natural progression for the Gabrieli Consort ...