torio-Origin of the word-Similarity to opera in early stage-Handel-Absurdity of claiming him as an

or it-Its claims to greatness-Bach-Mendelssohn his greatest disciple-"Elijah"-Its amazing reception at Birmingham-Its continued popularity in England-Spohr-"Last Judgment"-Ephemeral popul

ng appealed most deeply to the English p

only affection but, and wi

. Within its walls they sought shelter from the grim and

hen, on the Restoration, boys who could sing were wanted for the choirs of the Chapels Royal, none could be found! The treble parts of the music had to be play

pletely had all ear for music been, apparently, lost, that it took some years of training before any children could be fitted to take their places in these choirs. The

sted of the taint of frivolity with which, with good reason, they had for so long associated it, music was once more pre

we owe its birth. It is seen in embryo as early as the fifteenth century or even before, but perhaps the first work known to us, that definitely shows affinity to oratorio is Emilio's "Rappresentazione," which was first performed in the church of the Oratorians, S. Maria, in Vallicella, in the year

probably brought about the institution, was the humane desire to give shelter to the many thousands of pilgrims who flocked to Rome in various stages of destitution. Each shelter he est

is abundant evidence to prove that scenes from the sacr

f music and acting requisitioned, but the additional aid of costumes, scenery and dancing. Such a work, with chorus, so

same as opera, except that it was confined to religious subjects. It is interesting to compare their respective developments. The one was religious, the other not; one gradually restricting, the o

d in the production of Elgar's "Dream of Gerontius

ver indebted for the immense service of once mo

the cosmopolitan hordes that the Restoration attracted to London, by producing "Italian" o

e, but eventually he lost the greater part of it and, broken in health and spirit,

bt that it is the sense of the immense indebtedness of England to this wonderful man, that has led many people to claim him as an Englishman. With every respect for the feeling that prompts it, nothing could

s own, had any basis for claiming hi

owledge of which, in after years, was of such incalculable value to him, and acquired such a command of the

d teach him anything, and all that one can say is, that having a mind extraordinarily receptive, he woul

Hud

. Ha

h he probably became acquainted with for the first time.

led to comprehend the relative force of the words of a sentence when setting them to music, the early editions of his oratorios prove conclusively. Yet so imp

grity and noble independence of character. The latter is especially notable, seeing ho

wers; but he was generous to a degree, when his means allowed it, and man

of musical ideas that he could convert to his own use. Whether large conceptions leading to unknown possibilities, o

ote himself to the composition of oratorio, his early experience in Italy and the knowledge he gained there, can but have been of enormous service to him. How thoroughly he had absorbe

s were not begun until he was, at least, fifty years of age. He had then been in the position to become acquainted with the great English school of ecclesiastical music, and the combination of his early German training

say, but that his work often shows signs of this spirit of opportunism,

te himself to the compo

s of the spirit of the people among whom h

t? His genius was eclectic. He could write Italian music to delight the Italians, German music to satisfy the Germans, and now, was he determined to

r he was pugnacious, assertive, and intolerant of the least opposition. For years his life had been spent in con

red as great a scope for his powers as that which he had relinquished. Well, whatever

lain the ways of genius is, ge

expression, they are quite like his operas. The arias might, indeed, be exchanged

ncidents, and thus making it possible to go and hear them, without any suspicion of irreligious motive. This firs

n festival. Nevertheless, the great work was in progress, the great mission in course of fulfilment. It may be said that they were like S. John the Baptist,

"MES

immediate, and the effect produced by it extraordinary. Repetitions of the performance were demanded, and its fame spread

rmance progressed, so did the excitement, which culminated during the singing of the "Hallelujah" ch

enceforth the English people were to see, as their ancestors had before them, that music w

g for music so long, should give vent to outbursts of emotion and enthusi

recitatives, in which the vision of the shepherds is described and the announcement of the birth of the Saviour made, o

years ago. They know it incomparably better than any other music ever written, and the many beautiful numbers it contains, may be said to be as familiar in their mouths as household

xtraordinary rapidity with which it was written, the amazing thing is that they are so few. It seems absolutely incre

ion, through the medium of this immortal work, to have revolutionised the spirit of the

successive oratorios, since Handel's day, that have had

CREAT

firmly established, but even the principa

rection, previous to his first visit to England. Among his many experiences, perhaps the most interesting and certainly the most important, was making the acquaintance of Handel's English or

omposition of this oratorio. To say that it was a great success is to say little. Its popularity was immediate and universal, and to think that he was upwards of seventy years of age when he commenced it, only adds to one's admiration of the great composer. With what energy, sincerity and enthusiasm he threw himself into the work is shewn by the way he wrote to his friends at the

. They issued from a fount that was apparently inexhaustible. To the English people all this was quite new. The freshness, youthfulness and akinness to Nature, with its suggestive imitations of the warbling of birds and the cooing of doves; or, again the dramatic outburst when recording the creation of light, the mysterious music accompanying the narrative relating to the "darkness that moved on the face of t

though not approaching the latter in grandeur, it was successful in attracti

rom whatever point of view it may be regarded, the "Creation" is wonderful. The work of an old man breaking new ground (although he had, many ye

IJA

could compare with the "Messiah" or "Creation" either in the eminence of

of late years performances of some of his finest works have been frequently given and justly appreciated, it

ey onwards, who have used their best endeavours to render his music popular in

ener, that it is doubtful whether they will ever become popular in the sense that the "Messiah" is, and thus their influence must be nece

great fame, but to arouse once again, to its highest possibilities, the enthusiasm of the English people, by the production of the "Elijah" at Birmingham on A

that vital essence that is so necessary to reach the hearts of the people and stay there, it proved that the composer was endowed

er chances to mature it under exceptional conditions. Hence, with whatsoever genius Nature had endowed him, education, the most skilful and sc

nstant comprehension, full of moving incidents that their reading of the Bible had made familiar, and containing moments of intense dramatic force, this noble w

he hastened from the city so soon as it was possible for him to do so, in order to escape from the atmosphere of excitement. The success pr

t notwithstanding this, its great outstanding merit of fascinating the English public and attracting them towards music that, if not monumental like that o

AST JU

ced musical thought in England in the nineteenth centu

al bent of his genius was not in this direction is shewn by the fact that his earliest essays were marred by his lack of contrapuntal skill-absolutely the first essential. Although he trie

"The Last Judgment," which was not compo

is shewn by the fact that in 1847 the Sacred Harmonic Society (of London) gave a special series of concerts, with the sole idea of prese

n this country, as one of the most notable features in his career. Indeed, he wrote, on one occasion, that the

ers possessed, came as a welcome relief from the continued repetition of the few standard oratorios they had at their disposition. Melody, his music certainly contained, but of a kind difficult to associate with the great thoughts they were supposed to typify; whi

ympathetic and even moving music occurs, but it can

of them is "The Last Judgment," which contains certain numbers

ON" AND "THE

erest or achieve any lasting fame. Many sacred works of the greatest importance and significance were produced,

endid of them was Dv

ought and worthy of the noble Latin hymn it illuminated, it created, among those who were in the

iah" are not, as yet, sufficiently advanced in musical education to understand

ere is every sign that sacred music of a more complex character is becoming increasingly appre

It was quite original in style, being built on lines differing essentially from any of its predecessors. Its atmosphere of mysticism, its religious transport, and strongly suggestive of Latin Catholicism, "The Redemption" seemed the last work to appeal to the Engl

willing to do justice to the obvious sincerity underlying the whole score and recognize the sterling value of much of the music, others refused with angry insistence to

riests of a cult diff

erman "Requiem," gave expression in the noblest manner,

the point of view of musical science, voiced to the best of

s no doubt that, of the two works, "The

e considered here with perfect propriety. The subject is a religious one, and is treated in that spirit of rev

reminiscent of those at Birmingham forty years before, when the "Elijah" was first given. The work shews the composer, Arthur Sullivan, at h

s well, while the scene in which Satan is represented ri

ajority of his larger compositions can be said to be, since it keeps on a high level plane throughout. In this respect his earlier d

y success, and they certainly cannot compare with either "The Golden Legend" or "The Martyr of Antioch" in originality or effect. They contain music,

f the day. For years its popularity seemed to be quite inexhaustible, and if to-day there are found British composers working on a higher plane, and this canno

ish composers was, to say the least, infrequent, found it necessary, in order to meet the demands of his subscribers, to issue an announcement of its early produc

gress, and over it all, is the fatal influence of imitation. Indeed, this feature became an obsession over their minds, to such a degree, that until quite recent years, students were taught in all the English schools of music to regard the technique of composition rather as the end in view, than as the medium by which they could express any original though

produce. It was left to the man of genius, who, conscious of his power, could kick over the traces of convention, and le

ch a man was, before l

ccession of oratorios by English composers, written

d scholastic efficiency, but of the essen

AM OF GE

ome evident that a star of great magnitude

more admiration than any other feeling. They were virile in their mode of expression, original and da

forth in all its splendour, and, with one great and epoch-making

ave been sufficient to make his name memorable. It is an extraordinary fact that until the production of this oratorio, the poem, magnifi

er of history, and the bitter feelings it engendered were little likely to be assuaged by the publication of

practically ignored by the reading public until his

e author, required on the part of the composer, immense resources of skill,

intense devotional music he aided the author in the inspired effort to lift the veil, and reveal, if ever s

hing more approaching sublimity has been penned by the musician, than

atic emotion, and words seem strangely inadequ

en more eloquently acknowledged than by the great German composer, Herr Rich

nd so different from anything hitherto presented in England, shoul

of the immense advance in musical perception that has characterised recent years in the country. There had been signs, many and ominous, of a waning interest in oratorio. The number of works that had any real hold of, or power of attraction for the people in general, were few. The failure of so many new ones to