‘Christ on the Mount of Olives’ (_Christus am Oelberge_) was Beethoven’s only oratorio. It was begun in 1800 at a period when he was still under the influence of Haydn and Mozart. It was finished in 1801 and first performed at Vienna, April 5th, 1803. Its first production in England was in 1814 under Sir George Smart during the Lenten oratorios at Drury Lane. Huber’s text, which was written in fourteen days, has been universally condemned as lacking in solemnity and failing in the essential dramatic requirements. Several attempts have been made to substitute texts for the original one that would remove its incongruities, but without satisfactory results. The work calls for three solo voices, Jesus, Peter, and the Seraph. The introduction is an orchestral _adagio_ movement, very dramatic in character, depicting the agony in the Garden. This is followed by a recitative and aria for Jesus (tenor), ‘All my soul within me shudders,’ a sweet, pathetic number, in spite of its incongruity. There ensues a scene and aria by the Seraph, ‘Praise the Redeemer’s goodness,’ and joined to it a buoyant, joyous _obbligato_ with chorus, ‘O triumph, all ye ransomed!’ This is followed by a duet between Jesus and the Seraph, ‘On Me then fall thy heavy judgment,’ which, like Jesus’ first aria, offends through verging on the dramatic. After a short recitative in which Jesus welcomes death, there follows a strong and properly dramatic number, a chorus of soldiers in march-time, ‘We surely here shall find Him,’ in which are heard the shouts of the rabble and the grief of the apostles. Next comes a dialogue between Jesus and Peter, ‘Not unchastised shall this audacious band,’ and following this, a passage which again strains one’s sense of propriety, comes a trio between Jesus, Peter and the Seraph, with chorus, ‘O sons of men, with gladness.’ The last number, a chorus of angels, ‘Hallelujah, God’s Almighty Son,’ begins with a short but powerful orchestral introduction which is followed by a joyous outburst; and this in turn merges into a massive fugue, enriched and strengthened by a splendid orchestral accompaniment such as only Beethoven could conceive. Had Beethoven written another oratorio, as he evidently contemplated, he doubtless would have enriched this form out of the tragic experiences of his later life, as he so bountifully did the more congenial forms of instrumental speech.