| Notes: |
An Unfinished Oratorio
Christus is the title given by the composer's brother Paul to fragments of an unfinished oratorio by Felix Mendelssohn, published posthumously as Op. 97. [1] The work was suggested by Christian Karl Josias von Bunsen, who compiled the German libretto from biblical sources. Composition began in 1846 and continued through Mendelssohn's last year. The completed portions include a tenor recitative relating Christ's birth, a TBB chorus "Where is the newborn", the well known SATB chorus "There Shall a Star from Jacob Shine Forth" using Philipp Nicolai's chorale Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern, and a passion section ending with another chorale, O Welt, sieh' hier dein Leben. The first performance took place in 1852. |