Mendelssohn’s draMatic Music

FIRE falls from the sky and rain pours from the heavens. Such dramatic and heartfelt scenes enfold from music that stirs the imagination and tugs at the heartstrings. All this in Elijah, an oratorio written by Felix Mendelssohn, which premiered in 1846 at the Birmingham Festival in the United Kingdom. The music depicts events in the life of the biblical prophet Elijah from the Old Testament.

Elijah was composed in the spirit of Mendelssohn’s Baroque predecessors Bach and Handel, whose music the composer loved. Although modelled on the oratorios of these two Baroque masters, its style of lyricism and use of orchestral and choral colour reflects Mendelssohn’s own genius as an early Romantic composer.

This August, Yin Qi Music Centre presents this great oratorio work in full, with a huge lineup that includes the Yin Qi Choir, Yin Qi Symphony Orchestra, and five accomplished soloists, making up more than 100 people. The soloists are Dennis Lin (bass baritone) as Elijah, Lu Qiong Jung (soprano), Janet Kan (soprano), Anna Koor (mezzo soprano) and Reuben Lai (tenor) singing various other roles.

Elaine Pao is the conductor and music director.

Lai studied at the Guildhall in London and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He has been involved in training choirs for many years as well as providing voice training for the National University of Singapore Choir.

Kan is a masters graduate from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She obtained the ATCL diploma in voice from the Trinity Examination Board of London with a merit in 2007 and a distinction from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) in 2003.

Pao is an accomplished pianist who graduated from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, the US. She has worked with the Westminster Symphonic Choir, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Paris Philharmonic Orchestra.

Lin is a well-known professional singer in Taiwan. He often works with professional orchestras such as National Symphony Orchestra, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Taipei City Symphony Orchestra and Taipei Chamber Orchestral.

Koor is known for her rich mellow timbre. She holds a Fellowship from the Trinity College of Music in Voice Performance. As an established concert artiste, she has performed in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Dennis Chua dchua@nst.com.my